Edge of Night
by TwilightContinued
Summary: Edward and Bella return to Forks after attempting life outside of Washington. But the Volturri have been active, and Renesmee is no longer unique. Twilight Continues. Archive story from an old blog. Story is abandoned.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Fair warning to readers, this story is abandoned. I started writing it back in 2009 and got about ten chapters in before real life kicked in, and I ultimately lost my love of the fandom. It happens. I'm only uploading this to FFN because a friend of mine wanted to read it, and its previous format was not working. Feel free to enjoy (or not). I will not be finishing it because I've moved on to other things, but what remains of it is here for your consumption if you like. It's also pretty much unedited (and I've not read through it in almost ten years, and have no desire to—that whole thing about rereading your old works and cringing at how your writing style has changed and all). For those who enjoy it, thanks. For those who don't, no skin off my back.

* * *

 **EDGE OF NIGHT**

* * *

"More myself than I am.  
Whatever our souls are made of,  
his and mine are the same."  
 _Wuthering Heights_

 **Preface**

I brought into myself the guilt and shame which fell heavily onto my shoulders.

Edward's hand softly stroked my shoulder in an effort to calm my thoughts, though he couldn't hear them, he knew them already. He knew me. How could I think otherwise? Especially now.

Immortality seemed easy not so long ago. Though the fires had long drained from my veins, I often remembered the scalding that the venom burnt into my flesh. It caused me to beg for death though physically unable to speak a word. I remembered waking and feeling the relief when the fires were gone. I had achieved what I wanted: an eternity with my one true love. The other piece of my soul.

I was able to look forward to an eternity of blissful kisses and nights without sleep. I could now spend my hours tracing the lines of his lips with my finger tips, and I could watch our daughter grow and never die.

But now…. I would gladly relinquish my immortality, my never-ending bliss, if it would not cause more pain and harm to those I cherish. I would gladly give it all back to remove the blood on my hands.


	2. Chapter 2

**Decisions**

* * *

"Maybe Carlisle is right."

I turned from the open window of our home to look at Edward, my sweet husband, silently watching as our daughter stirred in her sleep. The pink silken blanket she received from Rose and Emmett a few weeks ago in the mail was beginning to twirl itself around her leg as she dreamed, the very end of it clutched tightly in her tiny fist.  
"We should go back."

Just three months earlier we left Forks for Hanover, New Hampshire and the summer semester at Dartmouth University. Edward previously secured a home for us, with enough space for the rest of the Cullen family to join us, if they so chose.

Carlisle and Esme joined us at our first request. They had no desire to be separate from the family, and especially not Renesmee. Soon after joining the family, I discovered there were many times when the two uprooted themselves to follow, or respectively lead, their adopted children elsewhere. A few times because either Emmett or Jasper gave in to the vampire within.

Emmett spoke casually of "messing up". So casually I was sometimes lead away from the fact "messing up" involved taking a life. Only after joining the family did I begin to understand anything of the nature when it came to human life.

At first, Alice and Jasper declined to move east with us. They wanted to spend time alone together, but after a mere two weeks alone, they joined us. The truth was we were lonely without them, and I'm certain Alice knew as much.

Alice, like Edward, often seemed to know everything before the rest of us, even when it came to our own feelings and judgments. It was very nearly a competition for who was alerted first to the latest happenings.

Rosalie and Emmett were the only ones strong enough in their decision to be alone together. They decided to spend a year abroad before committing to something more permanent. Rose, especially, wanted to travel before becoming stuck in some random high school for another few years. I, of course, couldn't agree with her more.  
This didn't stop the gifts for Renesmee from arriving in the mail. Each week her aunt and uncle sent a large package wrapped in brown paper with a gift for my daughter, and hand-written letters to each member of the family. Rosalie would never admit it, of course – being as stubborn as she was – but she missed us all.

Edward was determined to move east to New Hampshire. He wanted to get a lay of the land, thinking long-term. Dartmouth was right there. He insisted I at least consider going to college.

I didn't agree with him.

Less than a year ago I was certainly more adamant about attending the university. But that was before Renesmee, before everything in my world changed forever. Before the mere passing of a human caused a sensory overload in my system. I could control myself – quite well for a newborn vampire – so as to not attack the first human I saw in public. But that didn't mean I was ready to surround myself with the sweet smell, day in and day out.

Even if I didn't kill anyone, I would at least be distracted from my studies. I knew I would have the chance to attend college more than a dozen times, as Edward and the others had done. Time now held no boundaries for me.

However, Charlie and Renee would be disappointed if I failed school. Especially Renee. She simply wouldn't understand my excuse: _"_ _Sorry, Mom, but I couldn't concentrate on Psych 101, not with everyone smelling so wonderfully delicious."_

This was not a conversation I ever wanted to have with my mother, who was still blissfully unaware I was now a vampire – an almost year-old vampire. Of course, the fact she was now a grandmother could be more of a blow to her reality than the idea her only child was now considered a mythical creature.

Edward was insistent, though, almost annoyingly so. He had a way of persuading me to do just about anything he wished. He claimed I held the same power over him - twice as strong even – but I disagreed firmly in his ludicrous belief in this so-called power. It took me over a year to convince Edward to make me immortal, yet it took him less than a week to get me to audit classes at Dartmouth.

In the end, attending my few classes was easier than I thought. My self-control was growing everyday. The whole family was proud of me, with the exception of Jasper. Edward admitted he still held a small amount of bitterness it appeared so easy for me.

Easy? Honestly, nothing seemed easy when it came to my self-control. My mind was always able to separate prey from people, of course, but every single fiber of my being begged me for just one taste. The smell, the sight, even the sound of nearby heartbeats, caused venom – like human saliva - to rush into my mouth. I often felt like Pavlov's dog, drooling at the sound of a bell, without the bone ever being delivered to my dish.

One afternoon I came home from school early, because the weather had changed abruptly. The clouds cleared from the sky allowing sunlight to pour across the city, making it unsafe for me to remain in public. I threw my bag across the room, letting it clutter the corner of our den. Edward greeted me with his desirable little crooked smirk.

 _"_ _You should have killed me the first moment you laid eyes on me,"_ I snapped at him, storming into our bedroom to change clothes.

Earlier in the day someone pulled the fire alarm. Before I could even blink, I found myself packed into a small hallway with nearly fifty humans. Sardines smashed into a can. I controlled myself quite well, but was convinced their smell had rubbed off on me. It was like going to a fast food restaurant and smelling like French fries all day long.  
I instantly began looking for my jeans and boots. I promised Alice not to ruin another pair of heels while hunting. Blasphemy, she called it.

 _"_ _Never said I didn't want to,"_ Edward chuckled as he followed me. He leaned against the doorway observing my every action. _"_ _Besides, I am fairly positive you taste much better now."_ He came to stand beside me, snuggling his face into the small crevice in my neck. I felt gentle kisses roaming up the side of my neck. Leave it to Edward to try and distract me at my weakest moment.

I turned to look at him, tempted to remove my inner shield so he could read my mind. But, like Renesmee, I sometimes felt the need to be vocal about my feelings and opinions. Now was certainly the time.

 _"_ _My throat is burning,"_ I grumbled under my breath. _"_ _And if you felt even half of what I went through sitting in that room with all those humans that first day in Biology… Well, I would have wanted you to kill me. I love you too much to let you get thirsty for so long."_ I was trying my best to hold back the smirk.

Edward stared at me and shook his head. He was chuckling under his breath, as he always did when I said something outlandishly dramatic. I would never understand why my annoyance and anger was so endearing to him.

He kissed the top of my head.

 _"_ _Aw… it wasn't so bad for me,"_ he lied.

Feeling thwarted, I placed my hands on either side of his marble, god-like face. I concentrated to lower my shield, allowing him a temporary moment in my thoughts.  
Edward blinked a moment, and then chuckled as he dragged his finger against the back of my hand.

"That bad huh?" he asked. He leaned in to kiss me. Electricity flew from my lips and down to my toes. Instantly, I was very thankful. My hunger for people was beginning to fade, as my hunger for him was only increasing dramatically.

 _"_ _Well, let's go hunting tonight. I think Nessie needs to get out anyway."_

We should have noticed earlier. No… We should have reacted earlier when we knew Renesmee was having a hard time being here. Harder than we could have ever thought. Being so far away from Forks. Far away from Jacob.

We knew it would be difficult if we moved away. But it was inevitable, right? We couldn't stay in Forks for much longer. Not with everyone knowing who we were. They would notice Edward and Bella Cullen didn't change a single bit since graduating from high school. Not to mention we could rarely take Nessie out in public. People would notice. She wasn't normal. None of us were, especially together. And that put everyone we loved in danger.

Still, the memory of our leaving haunted me. We literally tore our daughter from Jacob. A moment in her short life she relived daily… for the last three months.

Both Renesmee and Jacob knew we were leaving. We prepared them for this a month in advance, but none of us truly understood imprinting. We didn't understand or estimate the outcome of separating Nessie from Jacob for so long, and so far away. The future was unknown to us. Alice couldn't see the future with Nessie and Jacob – or any hybrid.

Edward and Jacob got into a massive argument when we first told him we were leaving, which wasn't out of character for the both of them. They were fighting on and off for what seemed like a lifetime now. Edward, an unstoppable force meeting Jacob, an immovable object.

Their relationship grew closer as Jacob became a firm part of our family. He was easily welcomed to join us in our move, but his pack duties forced him to stay behind.  
The pack was eleven wolves strong now, and they would suffer in Jacob's absence. Plus, he needed to finish high school. Jacob was eager to give up school, but I wouldn't allow it. And it certainly wouldn't help to mend the relationship between our families. It wouldn't go over well with anyone in La Push if Jacob dropped out of high school to play babysitter to Renesmee.

So, when the day came to leave, Jacob stayed. He remained in his wolf form to say his goodbyes, admitting his emotions were easier to control when no one could see the detail on his face. This didn't make it any easier for Nessie when we pulled her away from Jacob, his reddish brown fur clenched tightly in her tiny grasp.

 _"_ _Momma no!"_ she kept screaming, though I wasn't the one pulling her away. I think she knew, in the end, it was my decision to leave Forks. It was my fault. I caused this pain for her.

It took the strong arms of both Jasper and Edward to wrench her away from Jake. There was a loud tearing sound as patches of fur ripped from his thick coat. Jacob winced in pain. He didn't notice the open gash, so strong was his anguish seeing Renesmee cry out for him. She begged to stay. The imprinting makes it nearly impossible for Jacob not to grant her every desire, every deep or superficial wish. Not being able to do so had him whimpering on the floor like a beaten dog, starving to death.

Renesmee cried the whole way out of Forks. She could hear the howling wolf in the distance, crying with her. Eventually she dozed off. The trip to Hanover was the last time I saw my daughter sleeping peacefully.

"Did you hear me?" I asked, approaching Edward. I looked over at Nessie; she was kicking her legs about and muttering in her sleep. I didn't envy her. I recalled similar sleepless nights, though now the memories were vague and blurry.

"I heard," Edward replied. His chin was resting on the back edge of his chair, watching Nessie.

It was difficult for Edward and I to trade Renesmee's crib for a bed. We knew she would age quickly before her development slowed. It seemed silly to keep her behind the bars of a crib when she looked like a five year-old. The bed was proving more difficult than we imagined. Most nights she slept on the sofa in the living room, while I read a book or her father played the piano.

Edward often played the lullaby he wrote for me, or the one he recently composed especially for her. Renesmee could not tear herself from our sides. Not for Carlisle to measure her. Not for Alice to take her shopping. One of us needed to always be there, her security blanket. It was a terrible infliction on our child, which we ourselves caused.  
"The weather here isn't what I expected," I groaned. "It's sunnier than I thought it would be." I looked out the window as the sun rose over the horizon, breaking through the clouds like a hot knife in butter.

The clouds in Washington were more resilient. I missed going outside. If I did decide to enroll as a full-time student I would have to take evening classes . . . or risk getting bad grades due to missing class because of the weather.

Even though I knew Edward heard me, he didn't appear to be listening to a single word.

I stood behind him, wrapping my arms around his strong shoulders, burrowing my face into the ridge of his neck. I breathed him in deeply. How silly I was to think his scent was beautiful before. My human senses were not of the depth to begin to understand his true beauty. He seemed sad now, as was I.

"Jacob," Renesmee mumbled in her sleep. We both let out a defeated sigh. It was is if we were holding our breath for months, hoping things would get better. We hung our heads mournfully.

"You're lucky," Edward whispered, tilting his head slightly to lean against mine. "You don't see her nightmares with her."

"You can't block her out at all?"

"No." He turned his eyes away from her. "It's like she's screaming."

"I feel terrible," I confessed. "Even if I didn't cause all this to begin with, I think she would still have nightmares. It's probably genetic."

"You always looked so peaceful when you slept." He closed his eyes, pressing his forehead against mine. "I used to be angry I couldn't read your thoughts. Now that I experience Renesmee's terror every night, I'm grateful for it.

I felt for Edward. Without the ability to avoid listening in on Nessie's mind, he heard her pain and anguish. The pain and anguish over the chasm we created.

This didn't stop me from listening in every night as she slept. If Edward was forced to feel the guilt, I should suffer along with him. When he retreated to his piano – or the garage to play with his cars – I would slip next to my daughter and place her small hand against my cheek, so I could see the images plaguing her slumber. Most nights I wished like hell I could cry.

"My Jacob," Renesmee muttered again.

It reminded me of the time when Edward heard me mutter the same thing. Once – it seemed a lifetime ago – I slept snuggled next to my best friend in a freezing tent, waiting for death to come upon us. I meant it differently, of course. _"_ _My Jacob"_ distinguished the different personalities Jake carried in my presence. One, the egotistical, immature boy with boundary issues; the other, my best friend who knew me like no other ever could.

The way Nessie said it now was different. It was full of longing and unease . . . and was clearly very possessive.

Carlisle walked in from the long stretch of hallway leading to the room he shared with Esme. His heels clicked on the black marble. I looked up, greeting him with a soft smile. He returned the gesture, and shifted to glance out the living room window.

"I should call the hospital and tell them I'll take the night shift." He mumbled, an audible reminder to himself.

I understood how he felt. The weather was often disappointing to us all. If it weren't so unbelievably frustrating, I would find it rather funny. When I first moved to Forks, the cold damp weather practically turned my stomach into a tight knot. Over time, though, the gray skies grew on me. They became a source of happiness. After all, when the sun came out and shined down on the rest of us, Edward stayed inside. Or left Forks altogether, leaving me behind without my personal sunlight.

The summers in Forks were much easier when I was human. It was rare I was outside on a bright and sunny day. Without school to keep me trapped like a prisoner, I was free to stay indoors with Edward. Charlie enjoyed the sunny days on his fishing boat, leaving the house empty. It was just the two of us, without my immortal love being distracted by the silent stirrings of my father in the next room. Edward could concentrate on us, while I could concentrate on him.

"If you could call it sleeping," Edward expressed with a heavy sigh, answering a question Carlisle thought. I quickly grew used to Edward answering unspoken questions aloud. He responded as though someone said something directly, whether I heard a voice or not.

My father-in-law walked up behind Edward, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. He peered over, observing Renesmee for himself. It was clear Carlisle was deeply concerned for our daughter. I wondered, though, if the doctor in him was plagued with curiosity about what Nessie was going through. Imprinting was a subject Carlisle found very intriguing… and understood very little.

"She's still having nightmares," Carlisle sighed, looking down at her.

I stood and turned my attention to the rising sun. I wondered if there was some hope with a brand new day, regardless of being stuck inside or not.

"I know that pain," Esme whispered, recognizing the look on my face. She wrapped her slender, pale arms around me; a comforting gesture. Esme had become a true mother to me, though I still longed to see Renee.

"Oh?"

"Yes," she said with a small frown. "Every day, every moment, you remained human and far from my son, I felt what you are feeling now."

I understood. Esme was the only one who always seemed to understand the emotions behind the scene. Alice, saw very nearly everything Edward and I experienced, but it was Esme who truly felt for us.

"Yes, but Edward and I were free to see one another." I was angry with myself. "And you weren't the cause of his pain." I, however, was the very exact cause of my daughter's anguish.

And Jacobs.

What else was new?

"You didn't know this was going to happen." Esme was trying to reassure me of my decision to move my family, leaving one essential member of it behind, thousands of miles away.

I reached my hand upwards and gently touched hers. I never took my eyes off the sun, now staring me right in the eyes. The brightness would blind a human, of course. But with my immortal eyes – now a soft, golden hue – I could see every color, every depth, and every beam shooting from the glowing orb in the morning sky.

I searched out the colors – looking deep into the sun – wondering where my answers lie. The only thing distracting me was the light reflected off our shimmering skin. I briefly glanced at Esme's arms, lined up against my own. The same pale, marble shade, the same shining surface I coveted for so long. It was strange to think I now was comparable to beauties like Esme, Alice, and Rosalie. I still couldn't comprehend it.

"Has Jacob called lately?" Esme asked. I assumed she wondered if his phone calls set off the nightmares. They didn't. The nightmares came whether Jacob called or not… and his voice over long distance didn't calm Renesmee. He tried to console her in the beginning, but he just couldn't lie to her. He couldn't lie when she asked him how he was. He couldn't lie when she asked if he missed her. He couldn't lie when she begged him to come visit.

Eventually, the calls stopped.

I phoned Billy a month ago, to see if something happened to Jacob. My eternal worry for my friend was… eternal. Billy told me Jacob was spending more time with the pack to keep his mind off Nessie. I often wondered why they bothered patrolling La Push and Forks when there were no vampires in town.

Staying in wolf form seemed easier for Jake, though. It was like his own personal escape. It's been that way for him since the first time he phased. I thought back to the months he spent away in wolf form, only to surprise me at the wedding… and acting more animal than human.

Sometimes, when I hunted, I wondered if Jacob was in the woods. Like me, looking up at the same stars, the same moon. I wondered how much more I could possibly hurt him. Taking my daughter – and his reason for being - was the nail in the coffin of years of torment. I was plagued by the guilt of it all.

"I'm almost packed!" Alice's sing-song voice chimed through the house as she pranced down the stairs, snapping us all out of our own personal coma. A large suitcase was in her hand. Everyone turned to look at her - except Edward, who kept his focus on Nessie.

"Are you going somewhere?" Esme asked, looking up as Alice set her suitcase down. Jasper followed behind, carrying two others of identical size and weight.

"We all are," she said with the typical glee she always seemed to carry with her. "We're going home."

"This _is_ home." Edward grumbled rather harshly.

"Not for long," she gloated. "We're going back to Washington."

"We haven't decided anything yet." He snarled a bit. His pride was hurt. Something he barely confided in me about. His child was in pain, and there was nothing he personally could do to fix it. As much as Edward hated the situation, knowing Jacob was the one person who could make Nessie happy right now, caused long term jealousy to rise up inside of him once again.

Edward was enough for me, but not enough for her.

"Well, maybe you haven't decided yet," Alice snapped back at him, casting her golden orbs toward me.

"I hate when you know my thoughts better than I do," I moaned.

"Now you know how the rest of us feel, with your husband fiddling around inside our heads," Jasper whined, setting the suitcases down in a row at the foot of the stair.  
I had to hand it to him. He did have a point. Edward didn't find the whole thing as amusing as Alice and Jasper, though.

"Will you guys…?" I began.

"Sure, sure," Alice nodded. She took Jasper by the arm and led him back upstairs, presumably to finish packing. Likewise, Carlisle and Esme turned back down the hallway and vanished into their room.

"I hadn't decided." I said softly, approaching Edward.

"Yes, you did." Edward sighed. The anger and bitterness was gone from his voice. He finally turned away from Renesmee. In a split second he was at my side, his face burrowed in the depths of my hair, breathing me in – though neither of us had any need to breathe in the first place. "And I love you for it."

I knew what he meant. Edward would not admit this move was a bad idea. That it was a mistake taking Renesmee away from Jacob, a werewolf with an involuntary claim on her. Especially Jacob Black.

"I love you." I exhaled for effect more than anything. Though I only relied on breath to speak or taste the air, Edward's scent still took my breath away. The words _"_ _I love you"_ never seemed enough; they couldn't properly describe how I really felt. They were insufficient. Words were insufficient.

"It seems this house was never given a proper chance to be lived in," he smirked, kissing the base of my neck. I could feel the gentle nibbles in between the kisses. As well as the not-so-gentle nibbles that curled my toes and sent sparks of electricity to my very core.

"Well…" I grinned at him, tracing my fingers along the inside of his forearm as it wrapped around my waist. His finger ran along the seam of my blouse. "We're not leaving this very second," the suggestion obvious in my voice, and my eyes leaving not hint of subtlety.

"Morning, Momma," a familiar voice called from the base of the couch.

There was a sweet chuckle in the back of Edward's throat. I peered over his shoulder, smiling to my daughter.

"Morning, baby," I said with a grin. "Daddy has something special to tell you." I smiled, allowing Edward to be the one to make her day and tell her we were going home to Forks. He could be her hero today. He deserved that much.

I beamed and turned to kiss him just below the ear.

"Go, be the knight in shining armor," I whispered. "The news will help her nightmares fade. Once she is sleeping through the night again, you and I have forever."


	3. Chapter 3

**Surprise**

* * *

I glanced hastily in the side-view mirror, looking back at the silver car driving directly behind us. There was only so much space in my Ferrari, so it was necessary for Renesmee to ride with Carlisle and Esme in the Volvo. It wasn't just about the space, though. Immortal or not, I was certain to have a full-blown panic attack if Edward drove over ninety-miles per hour with our daughter in the car. Even if she couldn't get hurt, it set a bad example.

Edward nodded his head slightly, while looking in the rear-view mirror at Carlisle. He then waved to his parents before speeding away from them. I blinked and turned my whole torso around to watch the silver car vanish into the distance behind us.

"What's going on?" I demanded curiously.

"Carlisle and Esme want a little extra time with Nessie before we get home," Edward said calmly. He shifted the car into high gear. The engine roared as we sped over the ebony road beneath us. "They know Jake and Charlie will steal her away as soon as we get home. They want to catch up on all they missed."

His words didn't calm me. There were only a few, brief moments since her birth – and my rebirth – where I wasn't constantly at my daughter's side. The few first months of her life caused me to become extra-cautious with her as well. I was acutely aware of anyone who was near her.

"But what if something…" I began.

"My cell phone is right here." He held up his phone, taunting me with it. I reached out for the device, ready to snatch it from his grasp. "Nope," he said, yanking it away. "They'll call if they need anything."

"What if we lose signal?" I admit… I was grasping at straws now.

"Alice saw us all making it Forks safely."

"Are they just going to drive more slowly?" I asked, still confused. I acknowledged defeat and leaned my back against the seat, pouting.

"They are going to stop in Illinois for a day. Six Flags," he smiled. Before I could object to the idea, he continued, "There is a small storm headed that way. The park will be cloudy enough for a few hours. They promised not to take her on any scary rides." Edward said the last bit more for my benefit than hers. Few things, if any, frightened Renesmee. I'm glad it I wasn't the one to tell her no when it came to roller-coasters.

"Are you upset?" he asked me, taking one hand off the wheel to put it around my shoulders.

"It doesn't seem fair," I mumbled. "I should be there for her first amusement park," I huffed under my breath like a two year-old during a tempter tantrum.

Then something occurred to me. "Does this me you and I get to…" Edward cut me off mid-sentence.

"One second, love," Edward said as he placed his concentration on the car. He must have caught wind of a state patrol nearby and was ready to slow down to avoid a ticket.

I was dead wrong.

A bright yellow Porsche shot past us at a blinding speed. The gush of wind caused by my daredevil sister blew dust from the highway into my face, and I regretted not putting the top up on the car. I growled under my breath and Edward laughed. Not at my misery. Oh, no. He knew now I wouldn't object to the race. Not after my hair was vehicularly assaulted.

Without Nessie to be concerned about, I was actually able to enjoy the drive – no matter the speed limit. After my transformation I quickly understood why Edward and the others liked speed. Walking and driving around like normal humans soon became the dullest moments of my day. I closed my eyes, deeply breathing in the scents in the wind whirling around me.

For the next several hours, Edward and Alice continued their little competition. They would switch off the lead position every fifty miles or so. I enjoyed the dirt-free wind in my hair and the relaxing vibration of the engine. It tingled up my spine, making me press my back more deeply into the seat. The sensation reminded me of the massage chair at the mall – Renee dragged me there years ago.

Once, Edward's laughter pulled me from my quiet meditation and I opened my eyes to turn and glance at him.

"Something funny?"

"We passed a cop." He said, and I glanced at the speedometer noticing he was not slowing down in the slightest degree. On the contrary, it appeared the race had taken a new turn and Edward was closing in on Alice.

"Are you crazy!" I jumped in my seat and quickly turned to look for flashing blue and red light. Charlie's verbal lashing for a speeding ticket would be worse than when I ran off to Italy.

The yellow Porsche was involved in that event, too. I now felt justified in blaming the whole thing on Alice… not that Charlie would accuse her of any misdeeds. Alice was his personal angel.

It wouldn't matter I was an adult now, or the fact I couldn't be harmed by a silly car accident. It wouldn't matter Edward's reflexes could prevent anyone else – human or vampire - from being injured. We were breaking the law. We were parents. It was our responsibility to set the proper example. Charlie would say, " _I'm not mad. I'm disappointed."_ And he would never let me forget it.

I searched for the trooper's car, but couldn't see anything - not even with my enhanced vampire eyes. The only sight behind us was a wide stretch of road disappearing over the horizon. A cloud of dust kicked up when Edward switched lanes as he cut off Alice, putting us in the lead.

"He's not following us," Edward said, still laughing.

"What's so funny?"

"He's a car buff." Edward was smirking. "He seemed more impressed with the sight of an F430 than trying to pull us over… if he could even catch up."

"You're terrible, you know that?" I glared at him. "Your silly obsession is preventing hard-working government employees from doing their job." I folded my arms against my chest, closing my eyes once more. "And… you woke me up."

"You don't sleep." He corrected me.

"You _disturbed_ me, then."

The race didn't slow until we entered Minnesota. The blur of the green made me smile, as I glanced at the forest surrounding us. I breathed in the air and gulped, my throat beginning to itch. We hunted a few days before leaving New Hampshire, but we all knew better than to let our thirst wait until we arrived in Forks. If we were going to see Charlie – not to mention any gas station attendants we may see along the way – we needed to be certain our thirst would not cause harm to others.

The smell of the local wildlife had me on the edge of my seat. I was scanning the area, just in case. Edward smiled and took my hand in his.

"Can you wait a little longer?"

My eyes widened in surprise as he swerved a mere inch to the right, just short of hitting a large buck. I spun my head around, watching the animal continue to cross the road, leap down the other side, and scurry into the shadow of trees.

"The further west we go, the better the hunt." Edward smiled. "It's bear season in Montana right now," he said, offering a quick distraction.

"No, I hate hunting season. Too close to hunters," I said. He looked at me. "Human hunters," I clarified. "Just in case."

I knew I could control myself around people, even on the prowl. I proved this many times since my first hunt, but I was always careful. Just in case. If Emmett could "mess up" every now and then, who's to say I was any more controlled?

"Besides, with big game like that, there will be ten hunters per bear out there. I don't like competition."

"It's no competition," Edward said with a chuckle in the back of his throat. "We could drive further up the state," he suggested. I knew what he was thinking: mountain lions. "Or do you think you can make it to Washington?"

Hunting at home would be relaxing for me. I knew the paths hikers took without even thinking about it. I often felt like a protector, keeping other predators from attacking them – even though animal attacks were rare in those parts. But I didn't want to chance anything. I also didn't want to be hungry by the time we reached home, or run into Jake – or any of the pack – while hunting. Even if no mistakes were made, Jake and Seth would be terribly upset if we went hunting before stopping in to say we were back.

Of course, Charlie would have already told the whole town we were on our way home. It would probably be just like when I first moved there. We would pull up in our cars and all eyes would be on us. Everyone would know our names. They would offer to show us around, or comment on how long it was since we were last seen. Of course, I know we would stand out. We usually did. Red Ferrari or not.

"Let's hunt," I said, nodding my head. "Just in case."

Edward was beautiful when he hunted. There was something feral and effortlessly sexy in the way he moved.

Each member of the family took me hunting; they all wanted to show me their own unique way of tracking their prey. We never all went at the same time, though. Someone always stayed behind with Renesmee, unless she accompanied us.

Emmett was quick, but not as fast as everyone else… including me. He stomped around a bit – taunting his prey – before engaging in a fight with whatever he planned to kill. It was amusing at first, but eventually became more of a nuisance. He took his time, prolonging the inevitable as if it were a game, as the rest of waited on the sidelines. I soon began to understand Emmett. To him, hunting was like watching sports. The longer the game ran into overtime, the more time he had to enjoy himself.

Alice and Esme were similar in their hunting styles. They sprinted through the woods like deer, swift and graceful. You didn't know they broke away from their free-spirited dance beneath the trees until you smelled the scent of fresh blood.

Jasper and Rosalie reminded me of the old nature shows we watched in high school. A lion would wait patiently in the shadows of the brush before striking a gazelle or zebra. They waited softly, silently, pawing the ground to get a feel for the earth… then suddenly the chase would be on. It was very primal to watch. They enjoyed the chase, the adrenaline flowing through them with their prey only a few feet away.

Esme once commented I moved like Carlisle, though Edward disagreed. He thought I was unique in everything. Esme explained Carlisle hunted as quickly as possible, because all life was precious. Even though they were animals, he didn't like the idea of taking a life. I reminded Esme of the same. It was as if I grieved at the thought of anything hurting beneath my own hands.

I admit I didn't like the thought of myself as being able to cause anyone – or any thing – pain. But when I was hungry, I didn't think much about anything but the hunt. I knew my prey would ease the thirst - the scorching fire plaguing the back of my throat and seeping down every inch of me. Maybe that's why I moved as quickly as Esme mentioned. I just wanted my own pain to end. Quite selfish of me.

Edward, on the other hand, displayed a strength when he hunted he rarely showed others. He moved with such ease during the normal, routine moments of life. When he hunted it was like watching the statue of David break free form the stone with fierce strength and power. I understood now why Edward would never allow me to watch him hunt while I was human. He said it was to protect me as he could turn on me as easily as a galloping deer. He also didn't want me to see him as a predator. Now I know it is quite possible – and very likely – the sight of him during an attack would be frightening.

Now it was something magical to observe.

I walked along the bottom of the Montana forest, stepping over stones as I approached the nearby mountain. I let my recent kill sink into me, settling my cravings and painful thirst. In the near distance, Edward was crouched on a sandy stone, face-to-face with a large mountain lion.

The lion growled defensively and I could see the sideways grin spreading across my husband's face. The lion was not backing down. I could see how much this pleased him, the lion not running away. Edward was drawn to this creature because its size. I could tell what was happening. A century old and he still acted like a teenage boy.

He was trying to impress me.

"Show off," I muttered. I reached upward and took hold of a nearby branch, pulling myself up into the tree. I climbed until I could watch the scene at a level glance, nearly fifty feet above the ground. If Edward wanted an audience, I could indulge him this once.

I loved being in the trees and mountains, high off the ground. It came so easily to me now. I took extra pleasure knowing I spent nineteen years, three-hundred and sixty-two days not being able to lift my feet more than three inches off the ground without face-planting into it. Vampires had better balance, better hand-eye coordination… better everything essential for me to walk without tripping. I enjoyed every moment of it.

The lion growled and moved quickly, striking out at Edward with its large claws. He dodged the strike – by just an inch or two – and immediately mocked the creature with his own, balled fist. The lion's ears lay flat against its head, hissing at my love. Edward's shoulder blades arched upwards, and I could see the outline of his back through his shirt. I bit my lower lip - in an ill-attempt to stifle my own primal urges just observing the very structure of him.

His muscles tensed and I breathed in deeply, catching a swallow in my throat. The lion's heartbeat accelerated dramatically, and I saw Edward turn his head - only for a moment – to smirk at me. In an instant he flew toward the beast, knocking it on its back, pushing he and the lion over the edge of a small cliff. The two rolled down the mountain, head-over-feet. I could hear the sound of crashing rocks, branches snapping, and an eventual thud as the two collided with the forest floor.

I took my time climbing down. By the time I reached the bottom and leapt from the lowest branch, Edward was finished and was walking back towards me. He looked at me, waiting for my approval. I could see it in his eyes.

"Very studly," I grinned, thinking applause would seem too patronizing.

"And not a hair out of place," He added, swiftly pulling me into his arms.

"Not yet," I said, a seductive smirk playing at the edge of my lips.

"Nope," he said, kissing me just once. He then moved back toward the direction of the hiking trail we left behind us a ten miles back. "We have a schedule to stick to," he continued, pointing skyward. "I want to stay just behind the storm."

I looked up and noticed a few raindrops falling on me. Not enough to pull the top up on the car, but plenty enough to keep the sun from shining. And enough to keep our cover when we stopped for gas in another hour or so.

"Fine," I said, pouting.

Edward grinned and took hold of my hand, dusting off his pants with his free palm.

"Feel better?" he asked.

"Meh," I shrugged my shoulders.

"Is something wrong?"

"No," I grumbled. "I'm just anxious, I guess."

"Nessie?" He asked, an empathetic look on his face. He missed her, too.

"Well, there is that," I sighed. "You're sure they are only a day behind us?"

"Maybe even less, now. They weren't planning on staying long, and I wasn't planning on this side trip," he said, looking back at the mountain. "Is there anything else bothering you?" Edward suddenly looked concerned.

"I don't want to get comfortable in Forks," I said, plain and simple. "I know this move is still going to be a temporary one. We'll have to leave eventually - before people really begin to take notice - what does that mean for Nessie?" I asked. "This is going to happen anywhere we go outside of Washington. I don't want to get Charlie's and Jake's hopes up by going back. They have to know we can't stay there forever."

"I think we should go on a vacation," Edward said, changing the subject. I eyed him, seething through my teeth.

"Don't avoid things that bother me. They're supposed to bother you, too. Or at least half of them," I said. "Half of everything I own. I think that's what it says on the marriage certificate."

"Is that so?" he asked, smirking at me. "I never looked at it."

"What?" I snapped. He was still trying to distract me, and it was working.

"I know it says you now lawfully own my heart. I didn't think I needed to know the specifics." He grinned at me. "Besides, I was very distracted by your beauty."

"You're trying to charm your way out of this conversation, Edward Cullen." I linked my arm through his and rested my head against his shoulders as we walked. We eventually found the pathway leading back to the car.

"Did it work?"

I sighed, defeated. "Why, exactly, do we need to go on vacation?"

"Because it's almost our anniversary," he commented with a sweet smile.

I sighed happily and a grin flew across my face. "I already know where I want to go." I recalled the few beautiful weeks we spent on Isle Esme. Just the two of us, immersed in absolute bliss with one another, separate from the rest of the world. I was human then, but I remembered the colors were bright and vivid… and everything was beautiful. Now I could truly enjoy its beauty. Of course, it was entirely possible the bed frame wouldn't survive this time around. A simple wound in the wood wouldn't suffice. We might even need to bring our own furniture, just in case.

"Do we have to drive straight through Washington?" I asked him.

"Suddenly you find Montana appealing?" he chuckled.

"It's rare we get time to ourselves, where even the thoughts of others aren't intrusive," I said, grinning.

"You're insatiable." He smirked, and turned his face to me. He stopped me in my tracks to push his hands around my waist. His breath was heavy against the small hollow above my collarbone, his lips tracing a line up to my jaw. My shoulders trembled and my lips quivered at his touch.

"Who could blame me?"

We were nearly a day off schedule when Edward turned the car down the street in this, our familiar hometown. The road led past the high school towards Charlie's – and eventually – home. Even though we sped most of the way from Montana, Alice and Jasper beat us soundly and were probably already unpacked. She would certainly gloat she won the race, but I didn't care. The rest stop we took was worth it. Alice could claim her imaginary trophy, I silently gloated to myself.

"Would you like to go straight to Charlie's, or go home first?" Edward asked, as I looked out the window trying to spot familiar faces on the street. I wondered if Mike and Jessica broke up again, or if Angela and Ben were already away at college. My thoughts drifted to the La Push tribe. Were Sam and Emily pregnant yet? Did Seth or Embry imprint?

"Let's go home. I want to take a shower and re-familiarize myself with everything."

Edward turned down the road leading to the house. I smiled seeing the familiar woods, relishing the thought of being whole with my family again – in a home I truly felt was my own. With the exception of Rosalie and Emmett, and Phil and Renne – everyone I loved would be with me sometime tonight.

As we moved onto the winding drive to the house, Edward's face went stone cold. An irritable sigh escaped his lips. I turned, blinking at him, before catching sight of Charlie's car parked in front of the garage.

"What wrong?" My dad was here to greet us… what was so horrible about that?

"Alice says Charlie was inside when they arrived." Edward was filtering everyone's thoughts in his head. "You…You should prepare yourself." He was hiding something from me.

I began to panic. Was there something wrong with Charlie? Was everyone all right? Was someone hurt? I held my breath out of sheer worry, and Edward leaned over and took my hand.

"Calm down, please. It's not that bad. It just… something new to deal with."

We pulled the car into the garage. As we stepped out, I made a face and covered my nose and mouth.

"Haven't smelled that in a while," I gagged.

Edward was fuming.

"Jacob has been sleeping in the garage," he noted, pointing to a small pile of blankets in the corner.

I knew Jake was spending more time with the pack, but I thought he would at least go home to sleep. Apparently, Jake was doing just as poorly without Nessie as she was without him. But at least she didn't smell like a wet dog.

Alice opened the door and glanced at both of us. "Took you long enough," she grinned proudly.

"Is everyone inside?" Edward asked.

"It's not as bad as I thought," Alice muttered. "I mean, honestly, we've been through much, much worse."

Curiosity got the best of me and I rushed past Edward. I nearly knocked right into Alice as I bolted up the stairs into the house. The sight was beautiful, but the scents hit me immediately. The first was the unfiltered, overwhelming stench of wolf, fogging up the whole house. I made a note to firmly punish Jacob if he every set one stinking paw inside my cottage. A part of me wondered if he slept at all in Rosalie's old room, his own personal joke.

Then the second smell came through the fog just moments before I saw where it was coming from. It was a sweet, citrus smell – it practically tasted soft and fruity in my mouth.

Human.

"Hey, Bells," Charlie and Jacob greeted in unison, both sitting on the couch watching a game on the plasma screen. Charlie seemed excited to see me as he adjusted himself to stand up. Jacob looked irked as he flipped through the channels. He must have known Nessie was with Carlsle and Esme.

"Nice to see you, too, Jake," I snarled a bit. He turned and smirked at me, obviously happy to have us home… but impatient for the family to be complete.

"Bella?"

Another voice called to me. I turned toward the kitchen, my golden eyes wide as I came face-to-face with the other human in the room.

"Mom?"


	4. Chapter 4

**Accidents Happen**

* * *

"What are you doing here?"

My mother was the last person I expected to see waiting for us when we arrived home. But there she stood... at the foot of the staircase, leaning against the rail, looking at me. Her hands seemed tense, but I couldn't tell why.

Was she shocked at my appearance, as Charlie was the first time he saw me after my change? I paused for a moment and turned to look at Charlie, who smiled at me apologetically. What all happened before we walked in the door?

"Well.." Renee began. "Phil had to go to New York for work, so I thought I would go with him and then take a flight to New Hampshire to see you. When I called, though, you didn't pick up. I called your father to see where you were... and he said you were moving back to Forks." She fidgeted with the gold necklace hanging from her neck, and I was quickly drawn to the rushing sound of blood beneath her skin.

"Since I already planned on spending time on a plane, I took the next flight to Seattle and drove the rest of the way."

I looked at Charlie for clues. It seemed my mother's presence was just as much a surprise to him as it was to me. Thankfully, my parents could be in the same room now without becoming uncomfortable; one less awkward thing to worry about.

"It's been almost a year since I saw my daughter and son-in-law, so I decided to make a visit." Renee cast a timid smile toward Edward, who was bringing in the rest of our luggage. Alice followed behind him.

I searched their faces for subtle hints. Did they know something I didn't? Did Alice see something about my mother? Could Edward hear anything? Neither of them looked worried. I breathed a sigh of relief, but something was off. Renee had yet to hug me, something very unusual for someone so affectionate. Her hand still griped the railing. Something was wrong. Very wrong.

"Why didn't you call my cell phone?" I finally asked, looking back and forth between my two parents.

Charlie shrugged. "Didn't know she was coming." I was right: her arrival was a surprise to him.

Renee sighed softly. "I forgot where you lived, so I went to Charlie's. He was just leaving, so I followed him here in my rental car."

Edward stood behind me and placed his hand on my shoulders.

"Jasper," he called, his hands firm on my skin. What was happening? "Can you stick around here for a minute?"

Why was Jasper needed? Aside from Renee looking a bit tense, everyone else seemed perfectly fine. Aside from being a little surprised, I was perfectly fine, too. I turned and looked at Edward curiously. His narrowed eyes were on Jacob.

I followed Edward's gaze to look at my friend. Jacob was shirtless, of course, and wearing tattered shorts. He was leaning back against the sofa in the middle of the room, eyes on the television, not even blinking. There was no movement in his eyes whatsoever. He wasn't watching the television. If I didn't know better - and if the smell wasn't so bad – I could mistake him for a vampire he was so still. I kept my eyes on him and the room fell silent. He then glanced over... and guilt spread across his face.

"What. Did. You. Do?" My eyes widened as I growled at him.

Jacob leapt off the sofa like a startled deer and took a few steps back, hands held out to me, a form of surrender.

"I swear, Bella, I didn't even know Charlie was coming today. I just stopped by to get some rest and maybe a bite to eat." Figures he would raid the pantry while we were gone. "I saw Charlie's car pull up, and, well..." He paused. "He's already seen me phase so I didn't think I needed to worry about coming up and saying 'hello'."

I turned and looked at my mother, who was now staring at Jacob, her eyes both curious and wary.

"What did you do?" I demanded again.

Edward's grip tightened on me, and Jasper was suddenly at my side.

"It's fine, Bella," Renee said calmly. She was almost as bad a liar as I was. "I was scared at first. I mean, I thought it was a bear about to attack Charlie." She looked at Jacob.

"It was kind of sweet, actually," Jacob continued, talking against his better judgment. "She starting screaming and threw rocks at me." He snickered at the memory.

Renee looked embarrassed. "I thought I could scare it off. I didn't hurt you, did I?"

"Oh, of course not. Don't you worry about me." Jacob said.

"I feel like I've gone insane," I muttered under my breath.

"Calm down, Bella. I was scared at first. Panicked, even. Especially when he.."

"Phased."

"That's right," Renee continued. "But Charlie and Jacob were able to calm me down a bit, and then they explained things to me."

Jacob stood and slowly walked over to Renee with a smile on his face. He put his arm around her.

"See Bells. No harm, no foul."

I growled under my breath, softly enough only an immortal - or a werewolf - could hear. I didn't want to frighten my own mother by audibly snarling at Jacob.

"Are you alright, Mom?" I asked timidly.

"Fine, sweetheart." She grinned.

I turned and looked at Edward, grateful to have a lie detector for a husband. He had yet to take his eyes off Jacob.

"She knows more than she's letting on," Edward said with an irritated groan.

"Jacob!" I shouted. Jasper's hand was suddenly on my left arm, holding me still. "Can't you keep anything to yourself?" I glared at him. He was standing behind my mother, almost as if she could protect him from me – even though he was over a foot taller.

"Jacob didn't say much. After I calmed down he answered all of my questions about his ... um ... tribe." I could tell she changed the word 'pack' at the last minute for her own benefit. Or perhaps for Charlie, who sat silently on the couch, alternating between our conversation and the game on TV.

"Your father wasn't much help," Renee sighed, looking at him.

"If you don't ask questions, you can't give answers," Charlie admitted, eyes flickering a bit as he held back a triumphant shout when his team scored.

"But I do have a few questions for you, Bella,"

I closed my eyes. If I were human, this would be the moment for a migraine to hit.

"Such as...?" I asked, hoping to get an idea of exactly how much Jacob told her and what I could lie about. Or have someone else lie about.

Renee stopped her words and turned to look at Charlie.

"I would prefer to talk to you alone. Or maybe Jacob could come along," she suggested. She trusted Jacob? But not me?

"Actually, Jacob is going to be busy." Edward released his grip on my shoulders. He took a few steps forward and I noticed Renee didn't tense up anymore when Edward approached.

"Jacob? A word?" He spoke calmly, pointing down the hallway.

"Yeah, yeah." Jacob sighed and turned, heading into the other room.

I looked at Jasper with pleading eyes. "I'm fine, Jasper, really. Where Jacob Black goes, there goes my tension," I grumbled. Jasper released me and then looked at Renee. I watched her release her grip on the railing and she exhaled.

"Don't mention it," Jasper said, before I had the chance to thank him for calming her down. I didn't like the idea of Renee being afraid of me. This was why I never intended to tell her what I was. Well, that was one of the reasons.

Edward stopped turned back to kiss my cheek. "She figured most of this out on her own," he whispered. "Just answer what you feel comfortable with and we'll figure out the rest." He walked over to kiss Renee on the cheek before proceeding down the hallway to speak with Jacob. "We're glad you're here, Renee."

"Ummm… Bella?" Renee paused and looked at me. "Can we step outside?" She gestured to the front door. "Your father asked me to not talk to you about a few things in front of him."

"I'm not one to eavesdrop." Charlie smiled at me. I knew what he meant, though. Don't ask, don't tell. Information on a need-to-know basis. I understood. What I didn't like was it meant Renee probably knew more than I feared. More than Charlie. Or, at least, her intent was to find out more.

"Mom, I don't think this is a good idea," I said as I followed her out the door, closing it lightly behind me. She kept walking down the small path leading to the river. The smell of the moist air helped to dilute her sweet perfume, and I was suddenly grateful we stopped in Montana to hunt. My throat was itching now, but I could only begin to imagine how badly my throat would ache if I had not calmed my thirst.

"I'm not stupid, Bella." There was a bit of tension and bitterness in her tone. Would I be able to lie to her now? Would she believe me? She listened to everything I told her a year ago – about my sickness in South America – and did not question even one detail. What choice did she have, really? What theories would she have come up with?

"Just tell me what happened to you." She raised her hand and touched the side of my face, instantly recoiling from the cold. "You look different… and you feel different."

"What do you want me to say, Mom?" I hated lying to her.

"I want the truth, Isabella. I came face-to-face with a werewolf today. I think I can handle just about anything."

I rolled my eyes when she said werewolf. I had been living in this world of magic and myth for years now, and I accepted it as truth. How could I not? But the word coming out of Renee's mouth made it sound perfectly ridiculous.

"Is it Edward?" she asked. "Did he forbid you to talk to me? You can talk to your father, but not me?" She looked offended, but I was certain I was more exasperated than she was.

"It's not about Edward or Charlie or anyone, Mom!" I gritted my teeth together. "It's about YOU. You know about werewolves now, can't that be enough? You are perfectly safe knowing about them. You can go on with your life all excited knowing you met a werewolf."

I was getting angry.

So was she.

"I don't care about the damn werewolf, Bella. I want to know what happened to my daughter! I want to know who or… what my daughter is." The words stung and I flinched, turning away from her. I was a 'what' now to my own mother; something unrecognizable to her.

"Look at you," she continued. "You've always been beautiful, but my goodness, Bella." She reached up and touched my hair. "If I didn't know you better, I would think you had some sort of strange plastic surgery. You look like… like…"

"Like Alice?" I asked her, looking back, facing my mother.

"Yes." She sighed. "And your eyes are…"

"Gold?" At least I didn't need contacts any longer.

"Yes." She gulped down hard. I could hear the breaking of her voice before she even spoke. It was like a dark echo in my ears. It nearly drown out the loud thudding sound of her heart, pounding faster by the minute.

"If you have a werewolf as a friend, should I assume anything is possible?" she asked me. "Frankenstein, fairies, and goblins?" I noticed immediately she left out a specific bread of myth, and I wondered if this was on purpose.

"Assume away. Make whatever assumptions you want. I'll answer your questions as best I can," I said, pursing my lips.

"Really? She suddenly seemed content, less bitter, almost excited. "You'll tell me everything?"

"Don't get too happy about this, Mom. This isn't like the time when you wanted to learn to read tarot cards, or when you went skydiving, or when you got a tattoo. This isn't some fun, new, exotic trend to throw yourself in. This is serious. It's not a game. This is dangerous, and the less you know the better for everyone involved."

Renee stood in silence for over a minute, staring at me. I offended her. In all my life I never spoke out against my mother and her wacky ideas and hobbies. But she had to understand. he had to know what this all meant. She had to know our lives were at stake.

Her life, too.

She pivoted on her foot and turned back, heading toward the house. I followed her, hoping my outburst would be the end of it. But she stopped and turned to look at me.

"I've made a few assumptions, Bella. So just answer a few questions for me, please. I can't just leave these thoughts roaming around in my head without some sort of reality to grab onto.

I nodded, trying to keep my cool.

"Are you sick?"

"No," I said, firmly and quickly.

"Were you sick?"

"Yes, sort of, but not from what we told you."

"Can…" She paused. "Can you get sick now?

"No." I shook my head. "I can't."

We stood there, on the side of the house, for a few more minutes – in absolute silence. I could practically hear the wheels of her mind working overtime. I felt for her. I knew how it felt. I wished Edward were here with me - to tell me what she was thinking – so I could stop her in her tracks. Before she could ask me the questions causing her pain. My poor mother, who only wanted to visit, and now she was thrown into a world of vampires and werewolves… and she didn't know where to go from here.

As I waited for her to get hold of her thoughts, I watched as the world moved around us. I listened as a flock of small sparrows burst out of the trees a mile east of the river. I could smell the burnt oil stench of a broken-down car just off the highway. I caught sight of a stray strand of Renee's hair, blowing against her face.

"Can you die?" she finally asked aloud.

The question caught me off-guard, and my eyes widened slightly. I hadn't given her enough credit before. Would it be possible Renee figured this out already? It took Jacob telling me old stories and serious internet research before I came to my own conclusion about Edward. Would it really be this easy for her? A small part of me was jealous, while the rest of me was terrified and nervous.

"Yes. I can die." I thought briefly of James, Victoria, and Irina. All vampires, like me, who were killed right in front of my eyes.

"But not like you can." Renee seemed relieved by my answer. This was not what I expected.

"Do you…" She brought a trembling hand to her mouth, almost as though she didn't want to me to see her physically answer the next question. "… Do you kill people?"

And there it was. She knew. She knew what I was. She knew what Edward and the others were. She might as well know everything.

"No," I said firmly, reaching out and taking her hand in my own. "I do not; I have not." It was something I was very proud of. Something I wanted to share with her. I wasn't a monster in some horror book or movie. I wasn't Count Dracula, though I was fairly certain I met him when the Romanians came to visit last year.

Renee looked like she was on the verge of tears. I should have lied.

"But…" she gulped down hard. "… you are a …" She stuttered around the word. I could tell she didn't want to say it, so I just nodded my head to stop her before she said the word aloud. "How is this even possible? I feel like I'm losing my mind."

"It's very possible. Easily possible. But you don't need to know the details."

"When?" she asked, ignoring me.

"Last year," I said calmly. "A few weeks after Edward and I came home from our honeymoon."

"Did you catch it in South America?" She – like me – had thrown all previous misconceptions about vampires out the window, and was starting from scratch. Trying to come to her own conclusion from the lies we told her and what she learned from Charlie and Jacob.

"No." I shook my head. "It's not something you catch, Mom" Did she think I was contagious or something? Was that why she was so fearful of touching me?

"So you knew about it all?"

"Yes. It was my choice, and it wasn't something I did spur-of-the-moment. I decided long ago and spent a few years preparing."

"This is what you wanted?" The rhythm of her heart was finally returning to normal, which eased my suffering as well. A beating heart was like a ringing dinner bell that never shut off.

"This is all I ever wanted," I said with a smile. "I have everything I ever dreamed, Mom." I sighed, not going into specifics.

"And are you happy?" she asked, a smile forming on her lips.

"Very."

"Well, I guess that's all I should be concerned about, right?"

"But you can't talk about this," I reminded her. "Not to Phil, not to anyone. It's best to not talk about me to anyone, Mom. I have certain limitations now. A lot has changed." I gently stroked the skin of her arm, a comforting gesture I used to do whenever she had a bad day. Now it left goose bumps behind her skin.

"I can never come to Florida for a visit," I stated, making sure she knew everything up front. "And I don't think you should ever bring Phil here. Charlie found out by accident" – Jacob was indeed an accident – "just like you. I never intended either one of you to find out anything."

"Were you planning on never seeing either of us again?" she asked, shocked.

"Honestly, I hoped we could see you, but I wasn't planning on it, no. Not because I wanted to lie, or because I wanted to be far away… but because I wanted to keep you safe.

"From you?"

Her question caught me off guard again.

I slowly nodded. "Yes. From me, and the others."

"Like the Cullens?"

"What?" I raised a brow. "No," I almost laughed. "No. From others…" I paused. "Others like us, but…"

How was I supposed to phrase this? Edward spoke so much more eloquently. The term 'vegetarian' would only prompt her to ask more questions about our diet; questions I was not keen on answering.

"Look," I sighed. "I'm different."

"I caught that." She was still staring at me.

"No, I mean we're different. Edward and Alice and the others. We're different from other… from the others of…"

"…of your kind?" she said. I felt guilty she finished the sentences I was too cowardly to finish myself.

"Yes. We don't hurt people. But others of our kind do, and the closer you and Charlie are to me now, the more you are in danger. I'm sorry I can't give you every detail." And I was. Renee and I were always so different, and this was just another thing standing between us. Separating us.

"I guess if Charlie can deal with this, I should be able to. Right?" She smiled and reached for me, hugging me close to her.

"I've really missed you, Bella."

"I've missed you, too."

We headed back to the house and walked through the door. Charlie was still on the sofa, though he was now flipping through the channels furiously. The game must be over, and the final score was not in his team's favor.

Alice sat on the floor, running her fingers through Jasper's hair as he read a book. Alice's eyes looked up at Renee brightly, and she smiled.

"See?" she said as she poked Jasper in the ribcage. "I told you everything would be fine." Jasper made a small harrumph sound and flipped the page of his book.

"Really, you are so pessimistic." She grinned and leaned down to ever so lightly kiss his forehead. "Are you hungry, Renee?" Alice asked my mother as she stood up and approached the two of us.

"Jacob didn't eat everything in the house?" I asked her.

"No, he did," she nodded. "But Jasper and I figured Charlie and Jacob would be by sometime. We thought it would be nice if we stocked some things up for them.

I smiled and looked to Renee, who shook her head politely.

"No, but thank you, Alice."

"Are you sure?" I asked. "Edward is a pretty good cook." I, unfortunately, could no longer recall what his food tasted like. "I'm sure Dad is hungry, too."

Charlie turned his head. "Not really." He patted his stomach. "Sue fixed up a big breakfast before I left this morning."

I had momentarily forgotten he and Sue were still dating.

"Someone mention food?" Jacob asked as he walked in through the back door. "I've had a serious craving for cookies for weeks now."

"Then go make them yourself." I narrowed my eyes at him.

Edward walked in behind Jacob and immediately came to my side, wrapping his arms around me. I exhaled and leaned against him.

"You did great," he whispered. "Renee is fine. She figured out the basics before we even got here."

"So she's smarter than me? It took me a few days and I had hard evidence and eye witnesses," I grumbled.

"You could say you were blinded by love?" He chuckled, offering his own suggestion as to why my human eyes were not as detail-oriented as my mother's apparently were. Just another example of how I was more like Charlie.

Edward turned to address my mother. "If you like, Renee, you are welcome to stay here during your visit. There is a guest room upstairs." He motioned with his hand, referring to his old room. It hadn't changed much, despite the fact it now served as Alice's second closet. Or had until we moved to Hanover.

"Oh, that's sweet of you, Edward, but I was planning to stay at a motel in town."

"Nonsense," answered Alice, jumping up with excitement and closing her phone. I didn't even notice she was talking to someone "We love entertaining guests. Besides, you can help me plan the anniversary party for Edward and Bella." She reached out and gleefully took Renee's hands.

"I don't think she'll be staying that long, Alice." I was trying to ease my way out of having some ridiculous party.

"Oh, yes she will! Phil isn't due back in Florida for another three weeks. I'm sure Renee would rather spend time with her family here than alone in Florida."

"We don't' need a party," I fumed.

"Well, I do. And we could put it to a vote… but I already know I win."

"Alice, if my mother wants to stay at a motel, she can stay at a motel," I said, valiantly trying to change the subject and hoping – against all hope – Alice would forget it altogether.

"It's pointless, Bella." Alice stood next to Renee and I felt ganged up on. "She'll be spending most of her time here anyway, now that she knows everything."

"She doesn't know everything," I said through my teeth.

I was so intent on my mother I didn't hear the Volvo turn down the long drive to the house. I blinked and looked at Alice, who was practically glowing. She loved surprises. Even bad, shocking, heart-stopping surprises.

Carlisle and Esme were home… with Renesmee.

"Renee…" Edward began, smiling nervously. "Perhaps you should sit down." He moved to get her a chair, which she awkwardly accepted, deciding to follow along until she understood what was happening.

"Are we not going to prepare her at all?" I asked him.

Edward turned to Charlie and asked, "Does it help to be prepared?"

"Nope," my father said firmly, siding against me. "She'll get over it."

I could hear a small whine escape Jacob's lips at the sound of the Volvo's engine shutting off in the garage. When the door opened, Renesmee bolted through it, her dark brown eyes looking up as Jacob rushed to her. He swept her up into his arms and twirled her around. Her long curls were pulled into a ponytail and they flew like a whip in the air as Jacob spun her.

"Nessie!" he shouted with joy as he held her close. She, in turn, wrapped her little arms around his neck.

"Jacob!" she shouted back in excitement, and then pulled back to look him in the eyes as she pressed her hands against his cheeks.

"Really?" he said. "I can't believe you went on that big a roller-coaster."

My eyes nearly popped out of their sockets at the word. I turned to look at Carlisle and Esme as they walked through the door.

"Roller-coaster?" I gasped.

"She exaggerates," Carlisle chuckled, and then blinked at the sight of Renee and Charlie. With a large, welcoming smile Carlisle walked over to Renee, taking her hand. "Alice called to tell us you came for a visit. Such a pleasure to see you again."

Esme seconded the invitation. "I hope you consider staying with us. We would be happy to have you." Her smile was sweet, warm and inviting. "After all, we're family."

Everyone was plotting against me.

Although she smiled graciously in response to their invitation, Renee couldn't keep her attention away from Renesmee. She looked terribly confused. I could see the questions burning in her mind. Who was this child? What was she to be prepared for? Why was Bella so uneasy?

Charlie carefully got up from the sofa and walked over to Jacob, who was still holding my daughter in his arms.

"Hey there, Nessie," he said with a smile that aged him instantaneously.

Renesmee took her hands off Jacob's cheeks, with a promise to finish her story later. She reached her arms out of Jacob's grasp towards Charlie.

"Grandpa!" she shouted, with a big voice.

"Grandpa?" was the last thing I heard before I heard a loud thud and felt the floorboards shake beneath my feet.

"Oh, my goodness!" Esme's voice called out. "Jasper, dear, please get a cold cloth. Alice, a pillow?"

I turned to see Esme cradling my mother's head in her arms. She had fainted and fell out of the chair.

I glared at Edward.

"Really? Doesn't help to be prepared at all?" The words, 'I told you so', were on the tip of my tongue.

"At least she was sitting down," was all he could say in his defense.


	5. Chapter 5

**Different Tastes**

* * *

"Mom?"

I was at the foot of the sofa, quietly looking down at Renee, who – according to Alice – should be conscious by now. I knew she was taking the whole mystical creatures thing a little too well. The poor woman fought off a bear that turned out to be a werewolf and discovered her only daughter was a vampire. I should have known becoming a grandmother would tip the scales of things she could handle.

Thankfully, Esme was close enough to catch her. Even so, she still hit her head just slightly. I considered trying what Edward once attempted with me: tell her the whole thing was a hallucination. We weren't vampires, she didn't see a werewolf, and Renesmee was Edward's niece. Renee hit her head and was confused. I didn't buy it one bit, and remembered my irritation over the lie. No, I couldn't do that to her.

"Mom? I know you're awake," I said, a bit louder this time around. Still no response.

I changed tactics – hoping to convince her to stop faking - and whispered in her ear, "Your breathing changes when you're awake."

"I don't want to be awake," Renee finally responded, her eyes tightly squeezed closed. "Not yet. Not until this strange dream ends." She brought her hands up and felt around her face, touching the ice pack wrapped in a towel and held over the small bump on her head.

"You fainted… " My throat was beginning to itch again. I would have to get used to her scent, a new task. Why couldn't all humans just smell the same? I returned my attention to my mom, who was still looking a little faint. "… and probably shouldn't operate heavy machinery for a few days. Please let Carlisle look you over. I would feel better if I knew you didn't have a concussion."

"I don't have a concussion, Bella," she argued. "Everything is just a little… confusing."

"I know the feeling." I offered her a small, sympathetic smile.

Renee looked as if she wanted to say something, her eyes moving back and forth as she recalled everything that happened so far today. It reminded me of my daughter, the only difference was Renesmee rubbed her fingers together and looked peaceful in her concentration. Renee, on the other hand, looked like she was recovering from and all-night drinking binge. I was half-tempted o offer her a drink, just to calm her down.

"Everything's fine, Mom." I placed my hand on top of hers, hoping to keep her calm. "Just try to take it slow." I helped her to sit up, trying my best to move slowly so she didn't get a head rush. "How do you feel?"

"Where is everyone?" Renee blinked, looking around, seeing she and I were the only ones left in the living room. As far as she could tell, the rest of the house was quiet. But I could hear everything, thought… and it sounded like a madhouse.

"Edward and Jasper are in the garage showing Charlie the adjustments they made to my car," I smiled, thinking of the pleasure it gave Edward. "Carlisle is in his study, while Esme is with Alice and Renesmee in the kitchen. They are making cookies for Jacob."

She paused for a moment, letting it all sink in.

"Renesmee?"

"Renee plus Esme." I beamed, proud of the one creative moment in my life. Once it finally set in, I could tell she appreciated the gesture. She brought a hand to her chest and bit the inside of her lip – a feeble attempt not to cry.

"I don't understand." She looked completely puzzled.

"Mom, it's hard to explain. All you need to know is she is very special, and she is your granddaughter. She ages quickly, but we created a scrapbook with pictures from the moment she was born. I'd love to show it to you."

"When was she born?"

"Last September."

Suddenly, the world of myths finally appeared to her. My world. She saw a werewolf phase in front of her eyes, asked if I killed humans… but this moment had more of an impact.

"You were pregnant?" Renee was grasping at what few strands of what still appeared to be a normal reaction.

"Yes," I replied softly. "Sorry we didn't send out cards. A baby shower seemed inappropriate at the time." Of course, Alice would have thrown a shower if we knew everything would turn out well. I could only imagine the monstrosity of a party Alice would create. I shuddered at the thought of a house full of baby-pink balloons. She would have forced me to play games…including the ones where the guests guess how fat you are. Awful.

"But, does this mean you're not a…" she began, hopeful.

"I am still…" I paused with a heavy sigh. I hated saying the word aloud, but Renee already knew more than Charlie did, and she needed to come to grips with it quickly.

"…a vampire. Renesemee was born a few days before my change. She was conceived…" – I cringed at the word – "… on our honeymoon."

Renee nodded her head, taking deep breaths, trying to calm herself. She began muttering under her breath, "Last September? How is that even poss…?"

The answers I could provide would never satisfy her. Was I supposed to tell her every detail? How I almost died? How I drank human blood to stay alive? How Renesmee was destroying me from inside? No. Renee just needed to move on.

"Would you like to meet her?" I asked, hopefully cutting off her parade of questions. "She's been worried about you since you fell."

"Worried about me? She knows who I am?"

"We showed her pictures and told her stories. She knows you quite well. I'm surprised she didn't run into your arms the moment she walked in the door. But, to be fair, Charlie usually brings her a present when he comes over." I rolled my eyes – I blamed Alice for my daughter's obsession with trinkets, clothes, and toys.

I helped Renee up, making sure she could stand on her own. She clung to my arm hesitantly, not quite used to the temperature of my skin. Carlisle appeared, walking down the stairs as we turned around.

"Oh, good. We were getting concerned, Renee." He was smiling, trying to make her feel at ease.

"Thank you, Carlisle." Her voice was stressed, and it came out like a sigh. "I'm doing much better… trying to take all this in, I guess."

"It is quite a lot to absorb." His smile grew even warmer as he moved toward her. He flickered a small penlight at her eyes, looking for any signs of medical trauma. "But I think you'll do just fine."

"I'm going to take her upstairs to rest. Does she get a clean bill of health?" I smiled at my father-in-law, with a deep sense of gratitude.

Carlisle chuckled. "I'm certain whatever is broken can be fixed by whatever Nessie is baking upstairs."

"Nessie?" Renee questioned. I seethed in response.

"Short for Renesmee. Apparently, it's a mouthful." I took her hand and lead her upstairs to the lavish kitchen, which normally looked like polished crystal and marble, but was now covered in melted chocolate… and splatters of cookie dough stuck to the walls.

"What happened in here?" My eyes immediately found my daughter, who was clinging to Esme's white lace apron.

"Jacob did it!" she said, pointing an accusing finger in his direction. He was sitting at the other end of the counter with a large wooden spoon jammed halfway into his mouth. "I told him I was going to bake and he said he would help." She narrowed her eyes at him.

"Didn't help much, did he?" I frowned.

"No!" Her big, brown eyes went wide and she rushed over to me, putting her hand on my face to show me a replay of what happened while I was downstairs with Renee. Our perfectly clean kitchen was apparently redecorated when Jacob lift the electric mixer out of the bowl too early. Esme, Alice, and Nessie all ducked to avoid getting hit by raw cookie dough. After Alice unplugged the machine she banished Jacob from behind the counter. I chuckled under my breath as I removed Nessie's hand from my face. I turned to glare at Jacob.

"You're going to clean this up," I said firmly.

"Yes, Mom," he chuckled bitterly, purposefully trying to get under my skin, the wooden spoon still stuck in his cheek.

"That's not funny." I narrowed my eyes into small slits, still looking at him. "And by clean, I don't mean lap it up with your mouth. Use a dishcloth. I reached for one in the sink nearby and tossed it to him.

Renee cleared her throat, and I could tell she felt out of place. Before I could say anything to make her feel more comfortable, Renesmee quickly reached for Renee's hand.

In many ways, Renesmee was so much more like Alice than me. She had no sense of personal space, approaching people before introductions were made. It was getting worse as she got older. I assumed when she was old enough – and stopped aging – she would go to high school like the rest of us. While we would all sit in the back corner, keeping to ourselves, Renesmee would become Prom Queen, lead the student council, and win the talent show – all at once.

"Come make cookies with us, Grandma." Her sweet voice sounded like flutes playing, and I could hear Renee's heart flutter when she was called 'Grandma' for the first time.

Renesmee stepped onto a small, wooden footstool, giving her access to the countertop. "You have to scoop them like this," she said, instructing Renee on how to place dough onto the cookie sheet. Like her father, Renesmee was more content to watch the Food Network than anything else on television. Cartoons rarely made sense to her, and she quickly grew bored with watching sports.

Renee smiled, and kept quiet as she followed directions from my bossy child. Esme removed her apron and walked over, putting her arms around me in a warm embrace.

"How is she taking it all?" she asked quietly.

"Slowly, but she hasn't fainted again, so I think we can call this a 'win' for the day."

I looked toward Alice, who was watching Renee and Nessie make the cookies – watching as if she couldn't quite comprehend why you would bother in the first place. Why go through the process of baking something before eating it? It was like brushing or bathing our prey before hunting. Why not just eat something you didn't have to cook in the first place?

A loud 'ding' echoed in the room. Nessie jumped from her footstool and rushed to the oven, her face full of excitement. "They're done! They're done!" she squealed as she reached her arms high to yank on the handle, opening the oven, ready to stick her bare hand inside.

"No!" Renee and I both shouted at the same time, rushing to stop her from touching the hot baking sheet. Naturally, I got there first and pulled my daughter into my arms.

"Is she okay?" Renee's heart was racing so quickly I could barely hear myself think. My mother took Renesmee's hand in her own, checking to make sure she wasn't hurt.

"An oven isn't going to hurt her." Alice rolled her eyes while she walked over and pulled the backing sheet out with her own bare hands. We were trying to ease Renee into all of this mess and here Alice was showing off our indestructibility.

Renee paused. "Wait. She's not hurt?"

"Nope," Nessie said, showing her both palms as she hung out of my arms.

"That doesn't mean she should stick her arms into an open oven," I said to Alice. "What will other people think if they see her doing something like that?"

"They'll probably ask why Nessie's mother never blinks," Jacob retorted sarcastically. He leaned on his elbows and reached to grab one of the balls of raw cookie dough from the cold baking sheet, popping it into his mouth.

I blinked my eyes a few times in response. It was the one human thing I always forgot. Thankfully, no humans noticed… but Jacob was always quick to point out my awkwardness in the normal world. As if I weren't awkward before.

"She can't get hurt at all?" Renee pulled my attention from Jacob. She was still looking at Renesmee's hands, double checking, just in case.

"Few things can hurt any of us," I said clearly, hoping she wouldn't faint again.

And Renee did something very odd.

She smiled. She smiled brightly.

"Well, that's a relief." She exhaled and turned to look at Esme. "You wouldn't believe how many skinned knees I bandaged while Bella was growing up." She sent me a small, apologetic smile. "You were always getting hurt, poor thing."

I set Renesmee on the floor and she rushed over to the cookie sheet to see if her creation was finished. I could hear Jacob get out of his seat, following the smell, ready for his treats. I half hoped she would ask him to roll over before giving him one.

"You're lucky – you won't have to worry as much," Renee said to me. "And now I guess I won't have to worry so much." She smiled, looking at me proudly. It figures. That I was now 'cured' of my previous lack of balance – and consequent scrapes and scratches – was what Renee was using as a crutch to deal with everything. Her daughter was now a vampire, but thank goodness she wouldn't trip and face plant herself into the sidewalk any longer.

Nessie's raised voice interrupted my musings. "Don't touch!" she shouted at Jacob. "Go wait over there. I'll bring them to you." She slapped his hand with a wooden spatula as she ordered him away from the cookies. Jacob grinned as he stepped back, sneaking a cookie off the sheet when Nessie turned her back to grab a small plate for him.

While Jacob, Renee and Alice hovered over Renesmee and her cookies, I instinctively took another dishcloth and began cleaning up the counters. Jacob wouldn't do it right anyway.

"Momma, you try one," Renesemee called to me, bringing a small plate over. She smiled – showing how incredibly proud she was of her creation - as she held up a small chocolate chip cookie in front of my face. When I was human, the smell of melting chocolate was nearly intoxicating. But now, I forced myself not to grimace as the scent flowed into my nose.

If I refused, she would be upset… and I would do anything for my daughter. Even this. I reached out for a cookie and took a large bite… and grinned, pulverizing the food until I could easily press it between my cheek and gums. Gooey, fresh chocolate chip cookies were once so incredibly delicious to me – soft and moist – but now it tasted like wallpaper paste mixed with dirt. I held my breath before taking a bite, hoping not to taste it, but I would need to speak soon and swallowing was not an option in front of my daughter.

"Mmm…," I said, taking in another breath to speak. The scent and taste overwhelmed me. It was almost as terrible as the fried chicken on Isle Esme, which triggered my morning sickness while pregnant with Renesmee.

"You know what? You should take the rest of these down to Grandpa." I tried really hard to smile. "And make sure you give one to Daddy." If I was going to have to eat this, then Edward was going to as well.

Nessie grinned brightly, pleased with herself. She carried the plate downstairs, followed closely by Jacob who was practically sniffing at her heals for another cookie.

Once she was out of sight, I rushed to the sink and spit out the chewed-up substance. I was tempted to hunt, just to rinse out my mouth. Renee looked at me strangely as I hung over the sink.

"Holy crow!" I wiped my mouth clean. "That cookie tasted like burnt clay and seaweed. Blech." I moved my tongue around in my mouth - scouring the insides for the last bits - as a nasty shiver went down my back

Renee took a small piece of broken cookie and sniffed it curiously then took a bite.

"I don't know what you're problem is, these are really good." She then offered one to both Esme and Alice.

"No, thank you." Alice put her hands over her mouth and laughed under her breath. "I'm full." She moved one of her hands over her stomach, bolting out of the room.

Esme smiled at Renee. "Things taste a little different to use. If you noticed, Renesmee didn't eat any of them, either. She doesn't take too kindly to regular food."

"Then what does she eat?"

Did my mother forget our earlier conversation about vampires? Neither Esme nor I was sure if we should answer the question or ignore it altogether when we were interrupted.

"That was uncalled for, Bella." Edward appeared around the corner with the same disgusted look on his face, as he held a cookie in his hand with one bite missing. He pointed it at me as a grin grew on his face. "You are more dangerous than you lead people to believe."

I answered with a grin of my own… and a wink. A silent promise to make this moment up to him later. Momentarily my thoughts became distracted. My Edward, stronger than any person I ever encountered - human or otherwise - had been taken down by a toddler. Too weak - like me - to say no to her. Was there any part of him that didn't scream absolute perfection?

Edward slipped his arm around my waist as he tossed the remains of his cookie into the garbage. "Carlisle and I, along with Jacob, are going to the border line to talk with Sam… just to make sure our alliances are intact. Verify everyone is on friendly terms. Why don't you show Renee the cottage?"

"Good idea. I need to take our things down there anyway."

"I already took everything down and put away our clothes. Alice helped, of course. The cottage looks just the same as we left it." He leaned in and kissed my cheek.

When I was human, his touch made me feel hot. My heart racing, blood pooled beneath the surface of my skin. But even now - without the heart beat and pooling of blood - I felt flush. Almost dizzy. Breathless.

"Say 'hello' to everyone for me," I said, knowing Seth would return with Jacob and Edward. Seth was another firm addition to our family, and we both loved him like a younger brother. Edward gave me another quick kiss on the forehead before kissing Renee on the cheek as he walked back downstairs to gather Carlisle and Jacob.

Renee had a puzzled look on her face. "Alliances? Is Edward involved in some kind of business deal?"

I shook my head and smiled softly. "It's a little more complicated than that. Our being here has a dramatic effect on Jacob's tribe."

If she only knew how dramatic. I remembered when Jacob first phased, along with Embry and Quil. Forced to phase as the magic in their tribe passed down to them - thanks to the ever growing population of vampires in Forks. I shuddered at the memory of Victoria hunting me, her wild red hair blazing on the water… her immense coven of newborn vampires… and then less than a year ago when the pack grew to unheard of numbers in order to protect their people – and our coven – when the Voluturi threatened our very existence.

To distract myself from dwelling on the horror of my memories, I cleaned the kitchen as I spoke to Renee. I was careful to move more slowly than normal – human speed – so as not to frighten her. This was the messiest the kitchen ever was, being as we seldom needed to cook.

"Until we were married the families weren't very close" - mortal enemies was more like it – "so Edward and Jacob often meet with the others to discuss things. This way no one gets their toes stepped on."

"Edward said something about a border?" she asked as she picked up the last tray of unbaked cookies. She slipped them into the oven, taking a moment to look over the buttons and set the timer.

"Yes…" I hesitated. "We're not exactly allowed on Quileute land."

"Not allowed? I thought you were friends with the Quileutes?"

"Oh, we are…mostly." I sighed. "It's only the Elders of the tribe, really. They still don't trust us."

After a few moments of silence, Renee asked, "Do they think you'll hurt people?" Renee seemed to be adapting to what I was. What we all were. The earlier awkwardness was leaving the atmosphere.

"Some of them think we might."

The thought of the continued distrust of the Tribal Elders was worrisome to me. Why couldn't everyone just get along? Didn't we prove our commitment to their tribe when we battled the Voluturi together? Didn't Jacob imprinting on Renesmee call a truce? Sam and the other wolves were content to let the past remain where it was. But it was the humans in the Quileute tribe that still held a grudge. I so wanted both sides of the divide to lay down their swords – even though they were figurative swords – and make peace. Until then… I had Renee to attend to.

"C'mon, Mom. Let's go. I can't wait to show you the cottage."

We found Renesmee in the living room sitting in Charlie's lap. How she convinced him to watch Food Network was beyond me, but my daughter truly was amazing. I'm certain he changed the channel the moment we walked out of the room.

Renee, Nessie, and I walked down the path to the river. I held tightly to my daughter's hand, knowing she would jump across it if I didn't stop her. One thing at a time, I thought. I wasn't sure how much Renee could handle. For now, we could walk across the small bridge spanning the water.

"So…how is Renesmee going to go to school?" My mother, ever the teacher, was curious about her education. You could see in her eyes she was also curious about our day-to-day life. How were we going to provide a 'normal' life for our daughter?

"Right now, we are home-schooling her." I let go of Nessie's hand so she could run and play along the water's edge. She was balancing on the larger rocks and skipping carelessly along the edge of the river. Renee looked a bit uneasy as she played, but I knew she had more balance at her age than I ever did in my eighteen years of human life.

"Carlisle, particularly, enjoys teaching her things. Edward, too." I couldn't help but smile with a tender ache in my heart. I was so truly blessed in my father-in-law. Not only his compassion, but in his intelligence and gentle way. If I allowed myself to think too deeply of the blessing of Edward in this way, I would cry silent tears and become overwhelmed with emotion. He was wonderful with Nessie, teaching her the 'hands-on' things he enjoyed. Musical instruments, languages, mechanics…although Nessie was yet to be impressed with cars. She would rather play dress-up with Alice.

I brought myself back to the conversation with Renee. "Of course, we can't make a decent judgment of her progress, all things considered. But, she is reading books I read in high school, if that is any indication." I couldn't help but smile like the proud parent.

We crossed the small bridge with Nessie and Renee ahead of me. The bridge had yet to be used and I wasn't sure how sturdy it was. Seth and Jacob built it in the early spring, just something to keep them busy. Who knew if it was sturdy enough for humans? Regardless of whether it was strong enough to hold Renee, the rains had washed debris against its sides, creating a dam. As we crossed, I kept careful watch over their every move. I wanted to be right there in the event Renee found herself walking on chunks of wood instead of the smooth surface of the bridge.

We crossed without issue and proceeded through the trees. The walk was longer than I expected – there was never any need to move this slowly on my way to my home.

"This way, Grandma." Renesmee ran to take Renee's hand to lead her through the woods. Soon our little cottage was in view.

"Oh… wow…" Renee's eyes turned bright as she looked over my little house.

"Wait until you get inside," I grinned. "I think you might appreciate my closet more than I do."


	6. Chapter 6

**Huh**

* * *

We stayed in the cottage for hours, Renesmee, my mother and I. We flipped through the scrapbooks and picture albums by the dozen, letting Renee catch up on the year of Renesmee's life she had already missed. The year seemed like five had gone by so quickly, and to Renee, this time was precious, and losing it was terrifying. I of course feared my daughter growing too quickly, especially considering her growth rate as it was, but I had the luxury of knowing I had her forever. She was mine and no matter what, I'd never part from her, not without the agonizing pain of death.

Renesmee was enjoying the visit just as much as Renee, perhaps more, seeing she had enough energy to not only explain in great detail every picture, lock of hair and button in every book, but she insisted on showing off every outfit she owned, every single trinket Rosalie and Alice gave her, and the beautiful violin Carlisle bought her. The same one she broke that first day.

On some level I think Renesmee understood how quickly things moved, and humans were different from us. They didn't understand time; they couldn't catch it or hold onto it as firmly as we could, so she was working her fingers and lips to the core bringing the very essence of every moment of her life to Renee. She made it all real.

I knew how frustrating it must have been for her as well. She could have easily touched Renee and within moments, it would have been as though Renee had seen everything for herself. The transfer of memories, pictures, colors and events was something powerful to experience, but Edward and I had always warned our daughter not to use her power on unsuspecting humans.

Nessie, frustrated her things had been unpacked for her, began tearing her room apart in a dire effort to locate a silk scarf Alice had insisted on purchasing for me, saying I needed to accessorize more with my wardrobe. I gave it to Nessie to play with, and she now believed it would match perfectly with Renee's color of hair.

"She's beautiful," Renee said again to me, a statement that had been repeated many times in the course of a few hours.

"I know," I smiled proudly and sighed, mostly out of habit at this point. As a human, when I was stressed or overwhelmed, my breathing changed, and I was still not completely adjusted to using my senses in the way my vampire body was now constructed. As I inhaled back in, a familiar sweet, citrus like taste covered my tongue and I exhaled again closing my eyes, taking an additional two steps away from my mother, just in case.

I remember once being much younger, maybe nine or ten and Renee was getting dressed up to go out for the night. The date in question had previously bought her a small array of gifts; a bracelet he said he bought from a local art shop, a beaded hair pin, and a small bottle of perfume she kept long after breaking up with him. The smell of it was terrible. She loved it though for some reason, and would insist on wearing it to every outing, until a year later she decided to stop using any form of chemical toiletries altogether. I never thought my mother would smell better than when she tossed the old perfume bottle in the trash can.

I was wrong.

The scent was very nearly over powering. I felt mesmerized by it. I had always assumed all humans smelled the same, at least their blood. When I was human it was a terrible smell which made my stomach turn, and even though Edward would on occasion try to explain the scent to me, and how I smelled different, I didn't really understand. I thought I smelled like my shampoo, rain, thanks to location, and occasionally Old Spice when Charlie would give me a tight hug before leaving the house for work.

Now I understood more than I'd like. All humans smelled wonderful, and caused my mouth to water with venom. Some smelled better than others, but not often by much. I found even though I hadn't killed a human, I had a specific taste when it came to their individual scents.

I had to drop my psychology course back at Dartmouth on my first day because a girl sitting three rows down from me made my throat burn and I couldn't even concentrate on the lecture. Likewise, I would never leave the house between the hours of noon and one in the afternoon because the local mailman caused my muscles to lock in place. Once I had to be restrained by Jasper when a UPS delivery man came to the door with boxes from Emmett and Rosalie. Edward had signed for them quickly, and was quite rude to the man in order to get him to leave as quickly as possible. It was a day Jasper found a bit of relief in. I struggled too.

Since coming back to Forks, I had only one temptation, and that was my own mother. I hated myself for it. I would never say it aloud to anyone else, especially Edward, but I finally understood why he called himself a monster. It was as if a creature deep inside of me cried out for her blood, for any human blood really, and every other piece of me had to hold on tight just to keep the wild demon locked away.

"Found it!" Nessie shouted running into the hall, a dark green scarf flowing behind her as she moved. Her voice snapped me out of the daze and I leaned down, pulling my daughter up into my arms and breathed her in. I had been able to use Nessie's scent to dull away the pain of thirst practically since her birth. She was like a filter on a cigarette. I could breathe through her, even though I still had to deal with my addiction.

Hours flew by and I left the two of them alone in Nessie's room to bond as I took a seat on a small wooden rocking chair on the front porch of my home. I looked out into the wilderness and began to wonder how the meeting with the wolves was going. The last thing we needed was trouble with the few allies we had left in this world. Of course I always knew if push came to shove, Sam's pack would certainly push, and we would have to relocate again. They were here first after all.

We always had an open invitation to move to Alaska and stay with Tanya's family, something I had contemplated quite a few times. Kate had become a dear friend to me, and Renesmee simply adored her 'Tia Carmen'. But last I heard, Garrett was still dealing with his own issues of giving up hunting humans. Putting he, Jasper and I in such close proximities made everyone else uneasy. Certainly the three of us could overpower many of the others if our thirst got too intense and we decided to kill.

We would visit soon, I promised Renesmee, and if it came down to it, in an emergency we had a home there. But my family was here in Forks, and I knew even the wolves couldn't deny there was a great bond joining us all together.

Looking at the position of the moon I sighed a bit, figuring it was nearing midnight. I stood and walked back into the house, making sure to close the door on my way inside. I couldn't feel the cold, but Renee could and I was determined to make her visit here as comfortable as possible.

Turning down the small hallway, I ran my fingers along the walls, stopping to smile at the pictures hanging there. A peaceful feeling came over me, one I hadn't experienced until just then. I felt whole. The day hadn't turned into a giant disaster. Renee was fine with the circumstances and had adjusted nicely. Charlie was happy we were home, and Nessie and Jacob weren't miserable any longer.

I stuck my head into Renesmee's room and smiled seeing my daughter laying in the crevice of Renee's cradled arm, a book held loosely in her hands. My mother had fallen asleep, exhausted from a stressful day of new things, people and ideas to accept into her life.

"Let's give Grandma a chance to sleep." I motioned to Renesmee, holding my hand out for her.

"Have you eaten lately?" Asking the same question to anyone else in the family was barely even necessary. I could always tell by the color of their eyes. But Nessie was different. She still had the same chocolate brown orbs she inherited from me, and while they were beyond beautiful, were very impractical when it came to judging the thirst in my half vampire daughter.

Nessie nodded her head as she climbed down off of the bed, being extra careful so as not to wake Renee. She walked over, taking my hand.

"Yes."

"Aside from cookies?"

"No." She admitted.

I turned and closed her door softly and pulled Nessie up into my arms. She clung her hands around my neck, adjusting herself before pressing a palm into the side of my cheek gently.

I immediately saw the rides she had been taken on earlier on her trip with Carlisle and Esme. There was a miniature roller-coaster she convinced Carlisle to go on with her. Esme won a stuffed bear that was still in the trunk of their car. The man who controlled the Ferris wheel had commented how Renesmee looked just like her mother, glancing at Esme in the process. Esme had smiled politely, but Nessie said loud and clear how she was here with her grandparents. The man was confused and Carlisle laughed and said something about kids saying the darndest things.

They let her try cotton candy for the first time. Unlike any normal child, Nessie didn't enjoy the flavor, but the texture was peculiar to her, so she even asked for seconds, insisting she needed to compare the flavors between blue and pink.

"That doesn't count either," I said laughing softly.

"We were supposed to eat when we got home." She said but then looked back down the hallway at her closed door.

"Well, none of us expected Grandma to visit," I sighed lightly. "But she's going to be here for at least a week or two, so let's go hunt now."

I wasn't hungry at all, not after Edward and I made the stop in the mountains of Montana, but if Renee was going to sleep in Nessie's room like I imagined she would insist on doing, the last thing I needed was my daughter to get hungry in her sleep and accidentally bite Renee.

I left a note on the inside of the front door, just in case my mother woke up. I instructed her not to leave until we returned, and to never go into the woods without one of us with her. All these years and I still felt like the parent.

Renesmee and I decided to hunt north of the cottage; not wanting to accidentally run into any of the wolves who might not be at the meeting, which I was hoping would be over by now.

I took my time, exploring the earth, the trees and the stars in the skies looked so much brighter than they had in Hanover. I missed Forks, and standing there in the middle of the woods, I really began to understand why. The beauty of this place was deep inside of me. It was the place I found Edward, the place we shared our lives together. The place mine physically ended and then began again. These were the trees I first saw with new eyes.

I glanced upward and briefly saw the tall grass move. To any human or animal it would have appeared nothing more than a slight breeze, but I knew a tiny little predator moved swiftly through the weeds, stalking a nearby buck about one hundred yards away.

I could hear the pitter patter sound of her feet moving quickly against the dirt, and the silence her stillness provoked just before she struck at her prey. It was so much more interesting than grocery shopping had ever been.

"Better than cookies?" I asked amused.

She smiled, but didn't respond.

A familiar scent approached us, non-threatening, but I still raised my head, preparing myself for the arrival. Renesmee didn't stir a bit.

"Good idea," Carlisle said as he now stood at my side. "I stopped by the cottage and saw your note for Renee." He smiled watching Nessie feed. "She's getting so strong." He said with the pride as the patriarch of our family, he was greatly entitled to.

"In more ways than one." I sighed a bit. "It's almost like she doesn't even feel tempted to feed on humans anymore." I looked up at him, hoping he wouldn't make me ask his advice aloud.

"She's still part human," He turned looking at me. "Perhaps it is a key to her control." Everything about Renesmee was a puzzle to him, and he was excited anytime he understood where a piece fit.

"How are you handling Renee's visit?"

"Not as well as I'd like to," I looked down shamefully. "I'm certain I'll be fine, I just wish I didn't have to control my thoughts. I wish they could just be controlled." I paused. "And I wish I didn't have to deal with any of this." I began walking away from where Renesmee continued to feed. She didn't need to hear my bitter complaints.

"Deal with the temptation?" Carlisle asked me.

"Not just temptation. I love having my parents here, but the closer they are to me just puts them in danger. Charlie is at least smart enough to avoid serious conversations. That and I'm positive if it came down to it, he could be protected by the Quileutes." I ran a hand through my hair.

"But Renee's different. She knows too much, asks too much and what if," I stopped my words as a blurred human memory flashed through my mind. Edward, Alice and I in Italy. Watching as Aro used his ability on Edward and Alice to determine whether I would become a vampire myself, or become dinner. I had known too much. I threatened their world. There were only two outcomes for me. One of them became reality.

"What if they find out my mother knows about us all?" I asked Carlisle.

"Bella," He put his arm around my shoulder, a comforting gesture. "They are all the way in Volterra."

"But they've come here before. Twice." I reminded him.

"And we parted on decent terms."

Decent? Was he joking? They tried to kill us, kill Renesmee, and destroy us piece by piece. Irina had died right in front of our own eyes and in the end, no one left friendly. The look on my face was apparent to Carlisle and he smiled at me.

"The Volturi have done despicable things in the past, most of which I do not care to repeat aloud. The fact of the matter is our losses were not great in numbers, and it gives me hope that Aro will keep his word. The Volturi have no reason to return."

"But they still could." I insisted, ever the pessimist.

"And if they did, Alice would see it ahead of time. You would shield us all from Aro's sight, and none of them would ever know Renee even existed let alone knew about us." Carlisle had a way of wording things bringing some comfort. It was strange, having one father who was silent, and very specific in his choice of words, and a father figure who was so well spoken.

"I just want to prepare myself for anything." I grumbled. The truth was I didn't want to be prepared. I didn't want to have to prepare for anything. I just wanted to go on with the rest of eternity never having to worry about a thing. How silly I once thought immortality would fix so many of my problems.

"If it came down to it," Carlisle looked at me in all seriousness. "Would you be able to make the same choice for her you made for yourself?"

My eyes widened. Was he serious? Was this a test of how I would respond? Was this life acceptable to only me, but not anyone else in my family?

"No." I said firmly. "I wouldn't."

Carlisle was suddenly very quiet.

"Does my answer surprise you?" I asked. "That I would not want my mother to be a vampire?"

"No," He said. "But it brings about a few questions you have never been answered before Bella. Certainly ending her life would be terrible, and I of course would never even think about doing such a horrid thing unless a circumstance similar to any of the rest of us was probable."

"No." I said again.

"It didn't work did it?" He asked, a sorrowful look on his face. "The morphine."

My eyes closed as I was forced to remember the moment of my transformation. The blackness of the existence. Laying there and seeing nothing but emptiness around me, struggling to reach for my daughter, for Edward and feeling nothing. Being trapped in my own body, struggling through the morphine holding me captive but didn't numb anything.

And the fire.

And the pain.

It had been like pure acid flowing through my veins and with every breath I had taken, I was fueling the fire. Every beat my heart expressed until it's last dying one, only pushed the venom further into my body, scalding another inch of me.

Three days of absolute torture and not having the ability to move, to scream, to cry. I wouldn't have screamed if I'd had the ability to. I would not hurt Edward. He would have hated himself for all of eternity. So when I awoke, a newly marbled creature, I hadn't said a word of what I endured.

"No." I finally admitted through my teeth. "It didn't work."

Carlisle sighed. "I had a feeling." He said aloud, but softly. "Keeping such a thing a secret cannot be easy." He said.

"You must forget I ever said this to you." I nearly demanded. "Edward can never know. Please Carlisle," I begged now, my voice calmer, sweeter by nature. "He cannot know."

A frown came to his face as he understood my reasons behind my silence. The transformation was unpleasant for all of us, but the others hadn't had a choice in the matter. They were dying at the time, and the venom, though the purest of agony, was their only hope of survival.

I too was dying, dead actually, but Edward would blame himself anyway. He would recall every single moment before my death, and try and recall how he could have changed it, how he could have stopped it. I would not allow him to live with that.

"I will put it in the deepest part of my mind." He promised, but I knew nothing was certain. It was hard for anyone aside from me to keep their thoughts from Edward. Should the subject come up again in the future, I would have to shield Carlisle's thoughts from Edward, and hope not to get caught doing so in the process.

"All done," Nessie said approaching us. "Race you back?" She asked us both.

"Another time," Carlisle said smiling at her, having not hunted yet himself. "Go back and get some rest." He leaned down and kissed her forehead before turning to smile at me once again.

"You will get through this, Bella." His voice lifted my lack of confidence. "We all have struggles, and this is one of yours. It's good to be aware of our weaknesses. Accepting them is the only way to fight through."

By the time we were close to home, I was carrying Nessie in my arms and she was falling fast asleep. The race she insisted on having never even took place. I had wanted to walk and enjoy the night.

Her skin, a great deal hotter than a normal human child pressed against my chest and neck as I held her close to me. I had grown used to the feeling, of course, but I quickly wondered how often Renee would insist on taking her temperature while she was staying with us. Regardless, it would be amusing to see my mother fuss so greatly over another person, especially someone who wasn't me.

It wasn't as though Renesmee wasn't used to such large amounts of attention anyway, and it would possibly give Edward and I even more time to ourselves with Grandma eager to baby-sit.

Approaching the cottage I paused, catching sight of Edward sitting in the chair on the porch. He looked deep in thought, a contemplative expression on his face. He only moved slightly to turn and smile as we moved closer.

"She asleep?" He asked looking up at Nessie, whose arms and legs were dangling in my arms like a rag doll.

"Just," I smiled. "I'm going to go lay her down with Renee." I said, leaning down to kiss my husband before opening the front door. Neither Renee nor Nessie moved an inch as I nestled them together in the bed. I covered them both with a blanket I knew would be kicked off sometime during the night by Renesmee, who was already warm enough.

"How did the meeting go?" I asked walking back out onto the porch, shutting the door behind me. I stood behind Edward, placing my hands affectionately on his shoulders and let them slide down his chest until I had my arms wrapped around him, my face burrowed just behind his ear.

"Are friends still friendly?"

"Mostly." He said, placing a hand on top of my own.

"Seth wasn't there. Busy helping a few others fix some leaks in the roofs down on the reservation. Didn't rain today, so they wanted to take advantage of the good weather while they could. Jacob says he'll bring Seth by tomorrow."

I smiled at the thought of seeing old friends again, and I felt initially jealous of Edward who was able to go along and reunite with the Quiluetes, who to be fair, we closer to me than him. At least most of them were.

Jacob's pack was naturally less tense around us than Sam's. After joining the pack, Embry hung around the house almost as much as Jacob and Seth. Quil kept a small distance usually, but was much less rude about it than Leah.

Although Sam and his pack were rarely seen by our family, I had become friends again with Emily who sometimes came with Sue when I went to visit my Dad. I looked forward to seeing them both soon, especially Sue, who I felt I owed a debt of gratitude for taking such good care of Charlie. Charlie, who seemed to have gained at least ten pounds since the same time last year, when Sue began fixing his meals instead of me.

"So then what's the not so mostly friendly part?" I asked, hesitant of the answer.

"It has very little to do with us actually." He said calmly. "Mostly pack politics. It appears I was there as backup for Jacob more than anything. Jacob is trying to get Sam to agree to extend the boundary, or destroy it all together." He turned and looked up at me.

"He didn't say so, not aloud anyway, but Jacob is under the impression if we were allowed on Quileute land, we wouldn't have a need to go into town at all, and could avoid humans entirely." He paused and I knew what he was getting at.

"Ah, so no one would ever be suspicious of us, and we could stay here forever, right?" I understood. "And what did Sam think of it?"

Edward didn't respond.

"That bad?"

"Charlie has invited us over tomorrow," He said, changing the subject. "I stopped by the house and asked Alice if she wouldn't mind keeping Renee busy while we were gone."

"Is she not invited?" That seemed strange. I had the impression Charlie and Renee were getting along quite well, and had been even more so since our wedding.

"I didn't think it would be appropriate." Edward looked at me.

"Why not?" I asked, suddenly feeling the need to defend my mother.

"Well Sue will be there for one."

"Oh please," I rolled my eyes. "I think Renee and Sue are above petty jealousies."

"I just said I didn't think it would be appropriate." He looked away from me.

"Is something wrong?" I asked as concern flooded through me. We had been gone so long, how was I to know what had happened in our absence? Maybe Charlie and Renee weren't as close as I'd imagined.

"I don't think it's my place to say anything, Bella."

"Edward," I stared down at him. I was not in the mood to play guessing games with him right now. "We just got home, Renesmee rode a roller coaster, Jacob has stunk up the entire house, and I've been trying very hard not to slaughter my own mother." My stress levels were high, and for good reason.

He sighed, accepting his inevitable defeat.

"Don't say a word, Bella, I wasn't even told anything, but Charlie's mind isn't as locked as yours." He looked at me as though he were judging my expression, trying to examine me in order to assume a probable outcome.

"What is it!?"

"Charlie and Sue are getting married."

Huh.


	7. Chapter 7

**Changes**

* * *

"What do you mean married?"

"Married. He asked her three weeks ago. He was going to take a trip back east to tell us in person, but we came here first. Good thing too, he could have wasted a lot of money on tickets."

Money? Edward was talking about money, and tickets, and marriage? Nothing made sense.

"I don't understand."

"Bella, love, calm down please. Everything is fine. Everyone is happy."

"How do you know that for sure?" I nearly snapped at him.

I couldn't understand why I was so upset. The whole day had me in a spin. Moving back, Renee visiting and now Charlie was getting married. I wasn't used to so much change, not like this.

Edward looked at me with a confused expression of his own. I rolled my eyes and turned away, pacing back and forth on the porch. Of course Edward knew if people were happy. Even if they pretended to be miserable, he could see inside of their heads. What was inside Charlie's head though? What I wouldn't give to be able to switch abilities with Edward right then.

Yes, switching abilities. That would have been a much better power for me to have taken on. I never wanted to be unique in the first place, and everyone else had such better traits than I did.

With Edward's mind reading I could find out what was really happening with my parents; one of whom was getting married, which was completely out of character, and the other was sleeping soundly next to a half vampire, half human child.

With Jasper's control of emotions I could fix everything myself, calm down right now, yes, that would be a plus.

Oh! And the ability to see the future. I could have seen this whole thing coming. Then something struck me.

"Wait, how come Alice didn't warn me about this?"

"Well, it's most likely because of the wolves. Sue is the mother to two werewolves, and with so many wolves in this area, it's amazing she can see anything clearly."

"I have to get out of here," was the last thing I muttered nearly incoherently before dashing off of the porch and into the woods.

I took the river in one long bound, landing on the other side still moving.

It didn't take long before I could feel rain beating against my face as I whirled past the trees. Even though it poured down in sheets like cutting knives, I barely felt a thing. I also couldn't feel the breaking branches, twigs and rocks beneath my feet as I darted through the woods, in fact, it took me a minute or two to even notice that I wasn't wearing shoes.

I had taken them off inside the house. I was ready to relax for the night. A whole evening had been planned out in advance. Some quiet time relaxing on the porch, stargazing. I would have probably read one of my books again, now that they were all unpacked, and of course there was Edward to keep me company. But now I couldn't think of any of those things. My mind was dealing with everything else that had happened in the last few minutes of the day.

I wanted to sleep and forget the day ever happened. I could have woken tomorrow and dealt with everything then. I never noticed what a luxury sleep was. You could just drift off and not really have to worry about much. Sure you could have nightmares, and I remember that I often did, but I never had to lay awake all night long contemplating the changes in my life. For a few hours a night, I could just let them go.

There was a moment that I paused, stopping in my tracks to try and think clearly. Was I running from something, or to something? Lost in my thoughts I looked around and realized the path I had taken. I was going to Charlie's house.

I didn't know what I was going to do when I got there. I didn't even know why I needed to go. But standing there in front of my home and hearing that my father was getting married stirred something deep within me, and out of nowhere I just needed to run away.

Edward was behind me; I could hear him. At least a hundred or so yards back, he was following me, keeping a close eye, but not close enough. For all he knew I was running to Charlie's house in the purest of anger, ready to kill, ready to drink. Edward wasn't close enough. He needed to speed up if he would be able to stop me. Even though I wasn't planning on hurting anyone, how could I trust myself? Better yet, why did he trust me? He was being too risky, letting me run so far ahead of him. Didn't he know what I was capable of?

When I arrived in front of Charlie's house, I stopped dead in my tracks and looked up at the window that used to be my room. Not much had changed since I moved out except a few of my things were now relocated.

Those same curtains hung there, eager to be replaced by a woman's touch. A woman with some sense of interior décor. A woman who wore shoes that matched her clothes, or at least a woman that cared about things like that. I remember being in Sue's house once, what seemed like decades ago, before Harry died. They had the prettiest little home that always felt warm and inviting.

Everything was clean and matched, and there was always something cooking. Was that how this house, this place I used to call home was going to be now? Would I still be welcome? Sue had never outwardly spoken against us, against vampires at all, but she was Quileute, how could she not? No. I had to at least try and give her more credit than that. We spent holidays together last year. We were already like family; this new event would just make things more official, right?

I began walking, feeling the grass beneath my toes as I moved. A bolt of lightning struck through the air and I saw it reflected in the window of Charlie's room. I realized now that my emotions weren't stirred up in anger, but concern. Was he alright? Would he be okay?

I could have easily walked into the house and even if he had woken up, Charlie would barely question my being there. It was still my home as far as he was concerned. I didn't want to wake him though. I didn't think I could talk to him, not yet. I was barely able to speak to Edward and even that was difficult. I couldn't even think clearly let alone speak rationally.

Taking a few steps closer to the house, I ran my hands along the side and felt the odd warmth coming from within. I barely noticed the temperature anymore. When it was sunny outside I assumed it was warm and when it rained I assumed cold, but there were very few varying degrees that I understood anymore. I listened closely and could hear the old space heater running. It must be really cold, Charlie hated using that thing. Told me once it was a fire hazard. I closed my eyes and listened again and realized that the regular heater wasn't on. The small space heater used less energy, saved more money, and with a wedding coming up why shouldn't he be saving up? Pieces were slowly fitting together. Running my fingers against the few cracks in the long wall, I stopped and looked up at the window above me, and slowly, I began to climb.

Just before reaching the window, a clap of thunder rolled over the sky and shook the ground. I stopped moving just a moment and began to wonder. What if Sue was inside? Had she already moved in? I didn't stop to look and see if another car was parked out front. Sheer panic came from the tips of my toes and rushed through me.

"He's alone."

I looked down and there was Edward, soaking wet from the pouring rain. I had barely noticed that I was drenched myself as I clung to the side of the house.

"What are you doing here, Bella?" He called up to me.

I sighed and leaned my head back against the wall, letting the water pour down over me, hoping it would wash all the feelings away. All the anger, the worry, the stress and mostly, the thirst.

"Taking a shower." I mumbled.

"You know we have one of those back home, state of the art too. I could even build you a Jacuzzi, with bubbles." He said, suddenly at my side, clinging to the wall next to me.

"It stinks here." I grumbled under my breath.

"That would make sense. Sue comes here a lot, and so do Leah and Seth."

I made a mental note not to let Jacob back in the house if it was raining again tomorrow morning. The only thing that smelled worse than werewolf was wet werewolf. I momentarily pictured the big rusty wolf sitting in Renesmee's large blue plastic pool covered in suds while my daughter sprayed him with the hose. For a moment, the thought made me smile.

I had once imagined having this big family, celebrating moments together; birthdays, holidays, even the mundane moments in life. Picnics out in front of the cottage. I could see Charlie, Renee, Jacob, Seth and Renesmee sitting around a big table feasting on plates of cookies, fried chicken and watermelon. Carlisle and Esme would be sitting with them, eagerly talking about the blessings that come from being a grandparent. Alice and Jasper would be lying in the grass looking at the shapes of clouds, and even Rosalie and Emmett were home in this vision, playing a game of football out in the field that surrounded my home. Edward would hold me as we sat on the porch and watched everyone. It was a perfect vision.

And now Sue was there.

"Do you know what this means?" I asked Edward, turning my head to the side to look at him, perched there, just below the window with me. "I'm going to have a step-mother." The word sounded so foreign to me.

"You already have a step-father," Edward tried to reason. "And you love Phil."

"And I love Sue," I insisted, saying the words not only to reassure myself but to make certain that Edward knew that this wasn't an only child's strange emotional outburst at the realization that her parents would never reunite.

I had understood that fact for nearly as long as I had been alive. My parents didn't work well together; they didn't make sense, and sometimes seeing them together, even as friends was a strange sight for me to take in. Renee was so lively, and like a little bird fluttered from place to place, wildly, eager for new experiences.

Charlie was settled. He was solid. He was happy with routine and any small change in that would throw him off, even slightly. Anything new was noticed, and not often appreciated.

I was so much like my dad.

"But Phil was different. Renee can be impulsive and it made sense that she would marry someone like him. But Charlie," I sighed. "He's been alone for so long, and I mean," I was beginning to stutter; a new loud clap of thunder brought my attention back to my words. "I had actually forgotten that he and Sue were dating. How could he not have told me?"

"He hasn't told anyone Bella. I overheard him thinking about it. He's worried about telling you actually."

"Why is he worried?"

"You're climbing the outside of his house in the pouring rain and you're asking me why he might be a little concerned about telling you?"

"I feel like I should have been warned. I should have been prepared for this."

"Did we give him much warning?"

"That was different." I defended.

"Not much."

I turned and glared at him and he smiled at me. It was different, by a lot actually. I wasn't running off with someone I had been dating for less than a year. To my knowledge he hadn't dated anyone aside from Sue in the entire time he and Renee had been divorced.

I had made a huge choice about my whole life with Edward, getting married had been the means to an end. Edward wouldn't change me otherwise, and once you got the idea of dresses and decoration in Alice's head, there was no turning back.

Charlie wasn't running off after this wedding to be changed into a werewolf. It didn't work that way.

Then, a sour taste filled my mouth and I sighed as a new thought popped into my head. I turned and looked at Edward.

"Does this mean that Leah and Seth are . . ."

"I'm sure you'll make a wonderful sister Bella." He said through a soft chuckle in the back of his throat. He was enjoying this too much for his own good.

"We're all family now." He said with a smile.

"Yeah, perfect for an episode of Jerry Springer." I rolled my eyes.

"Or a very strange late night horror flick." He reached over and took my hand gently. "We still all get a happily ever after, Bella." He began to adjust himself, to leap back down to the ground. I could tell by his grasp he was insistent that I go with him, but I pulled my hand away, at the last second.

"I just need to . . ." I began, but couldn't find the words to finish. What did I need?

"I know." He said and then jumped down, landing with no more sound than the rain drops falling against the ground.

I turned and looked back up at the window, climbed a little higher and slowly brought my face to nearly press against the glass. Water gushed over it, and if my vision wasn't so supernaturally clear, I wouldn't have been able to see a thing.

Inside, Charlie slept soundly, covered in a large Mariners blanket that already had a hole in the end of it. His feet stuck out at the bottom and I could see the glowing red bars of the space heater on a table near the foot of the bed.

I glance back up near the headboard and noticed that no one else was there. Looking around the room I saw a multitude of pictures of me, most taken when I was little. There was one of Edward and I at our wedding in a silver frame that Alice had bought for Charlie's last birthday. Next to his bedside table was a picture of Renesmee. She appeared around three years old, though she could have only been a few months when the photo was taken. I didn't remember it myself, and assumed that it must have been on one of the days when Alice and Rosalie decided to have a fashion show at the house.

Charlie's police uniform was flung over the back of a chair, and aside from some sports memorabilia hanging on the walls, there wasn't much else in the room that defined Charlie. Anyone who came into that house could immediately tell who he was. A father, a grandfather, a police officer and a sports nut.

I knew there was more to him, but I knew him better than most. Did I know him well enough? Was there so much more under the surface that I didn't even know about? Was he very lonely? And would a wife in this house suddenly make the picture whole? Were there pieces of Charlie that I didn't know about that a new wife would bring to the surface? A father, a grandfather, a police officer, a sports nut, and husband?

Would Charlie change once he married Sue? It wasn't as though I couldn't see them together. I had seen them together countless times, and it was easy to notice why they adored one another. Sue was just as settled and solid as Charlie. She had been married to the same man for over twenty years before he died, and she hadn't ever even thought of another before him. Charlie and Sue weren't being impulsive, not in the slightest. They were both adults, why should they wait?

Then it hit me.

I knew why I was so upset, and it had nothing to do with Renee, or Sue being my step-mother, or even the fact that Leah Clearwater was going to be at my family reunions from now on. No, Charlie was aging.

I knew that it would happen one day, and I figured I would prepare myself later. Charlie, Renee, Sue, Phil, and every other human I had ever known in my entire life was going to get old and die. I had Edward and Renesmee forever, but not my parents, not other loved ones.

The constant routine in Forks had made me overlook that fact for so long. Everything was always the same. Even when I became a vampire and Renesmee came into my life, everything else was just the same. I still saw Charlie, I still spoke to Renee. Nothing was new, so it seemed like no one was growing, no one was aging, and no one was slowly dying every new moment of their life.

I suddenly felt grief wash over me. This was something I would have to deal with myself. I would have the whole night to learn how to accept this, and if I couldn't, I would try to hide those thoughts deep inside, and tomorrow when my father told me that he was getting married, I would show joy, and celebrate with my old and new family.

I let go of my grip on the window sill and dropped down to the ground, feeling the wet earth under the soles of my feet. Turning, I reached for Edward's hand without looking and decided it was time to head home.

"So, snooping in windows," I began. "Feels a lot creepier than I thought it would."

"You thought it wouldn't be creepy?" He asked.

"Not really," I shrugged my shoulders gently. "I mean you used to snoop in my window all the time."

"I never snooped. Besides, you used to insist I come and lay with you every night." He said defensively.

"I mean before that. Before you told me everything. You still came to my window right?" I asked him, looking into the distance. He took a few moments to respond. I turned my eyes to take a quick glance at him. He was thinking really hard; it was adorable.

"Well, yes, but that was just to see you."

"Snooping." I declared.

"No," He continued to argue playfully with me. "I just wanted to see if you were okay. I never went through your clothes or anything. I just sat in the corner and watched you sleep."

"Stalking." I nearly giggled, but controlled myself before I let it slip.

There was at least a full minute of absolute silence. He was never so easily defeated; after all, he could pick out his defense strategy by pin-pointing weaknesses in his opponents head. I half wished that he and I had taken debate together in high school; I might have bested him at something even when I was human.

"So do you think you'll be a bridesmaid?" He finally asked, a smirk on his face.

"Be careful there Mr. Cullen," I warned. "Or you can spend the rest of the night in the garage on Jacob's bed."

"Ouch," He grinned and wrapped his arms around my waist. "You win."

"Always do."


	8. Chapter 8

**Temperamental**

* * *

The day that followed seemed just as much of a blur as the one that preceded it, this time however I was less worried about Renee. Edward and I walked around the cottage all night long.

By the time we walked back in through the front door of the main house, a strange smell flooded into me. I knew instantly what it was, eggs.

"Morning!" Renee called with a bright song in her voice from the kitchen.

I stared up at her. "When did you wake up?"

"About an hour ago, did you two sleep in or something?" She asked, her attention now to the food cooking in front of her. "I didn't want to wake you, so Renesmee and I left quietly."

The sound of my daughters name coming so fluidly off of my mothers tongue was soothing to me. One big happy family.

"No, Edward and I were out walking all night." I peered over the counter observing her slow movements as she made an ill fated attempt to flip the egg. Renesmee, sitting on a nearby barstool giggled as she spun around in her seat. The egg fell back into the pan and broke into this gooey mess. Immediately, without hesitation, Renee mixed it with a spoon, adding a small splash of milk into the pan creating her famous accidental scrambled eggs.

"Up all night? You must be exhausted." She exclaimed as she turned around to look through the cabinets for plates.

"Not really," I casually took a seat beside my daughter, spinning around in the stool once before smiling and leaning against the counter. "I don't sleep. We don't sleep actually." I wanted to throw something new out immediately, but not too overwhelming, just to see how she was handling things now that she had been given the chance to rest.

"Really?" She said looking at me, strangely impressed.

"Yep," I nodded. "Don't need to."

"That's odd," She turned the stove off and began plating up the eggs onto four small white china plates, the only type of dishes that we kept in the house. Since we never ate, Esme believed that if company came over to eat, it was always a special occasion, so why not use the best?

"I mean, Renesmee said something about you two not sleeping, but I thought it was," She cleared her throat. "Well, you know." She muttered and then gave me this awkward expression.

"Oh," I raised my brows. "No, it's not like that. I mean it is," I corrected. Edward and I were very much still passionate for one another, the likes of which Renee could never understand. "Or I mean," I grumbled. "That's not why we don't sleep." I finally spat out, with a slightly cold edge to my voice.

"Doesn't need to sleep and yet she's still a morning grump." Renee smirked, speaking to Edward who was now standing right behind me, his chin resting on the top of my head while his arms mingled their way through my own.

"Not just morning either," He joked. "She's a terrible grouch all day and night." He chuckled and kissed my cheek.

"I'll show you a grouch." I snapped, trying to hold back the small smile that crept its way into the crevice of my lips just before Edward leaned in to kiss them.

"Here," Renee said, putting three plates on the counter before picking up a fork to eat from her own. All at once Edward, Renesmee and I looked down at the food as though we had been dared to eat a bug. A familiar feeling came over me. The same one I used to get at the scent of blood, when I was human of course. The same feeling that came over me the day on Isle Esme when I found out I was pregnant.

"Oh," Renee said, looking embarrassed. "I forgot about the whole, eating thing." She sighed and took the plates back. Renesmee, who could have eaten the eggs if she wanted to, eagerly pushed the plate back towards Renee as though her very life depended on it, and then hopped down from the barstool and scurried down the hall, her long curls bouncing with every move.

"To be honest Mom, even if I did eat this kind of food anymore, I wouldn't eat eggs. That's all I ate when I was pregnant with Renesmee, and frankly the thought of them makes me a little queasy."

"Oh," Renee sighed, and instantly I could see the relief in her eyes. "I know exactly how that feels. To this day I won't touch a grilled cheese sandwich because that's all your Dad knew how to make when I was pregnant with you, so that's pretty much all I ate." She said with laughter in her voice.

"Dad knew how to make a grilled cheese sandwiches?" I asked, a smirk toying at my mouth.

"Well," Renee paused as she scooped the plates of eggs back in the pan, and then setting the dirty dishes in the sink. "I didn't want to hurt his feelings."

Edward stared blankly at the both of us, his head slightly tilted to the side as a smile formed on his face.

"What's going on?" I asked him.

"Seth." Edward's smile developed into a full blown grin and just then the front door opened.

It was no surprise that Edward was excited to see Seth. The friendship the two of them shared was like brothers. Edward and Seth interacting was almost as intimate as he was with Emmett and Jasper; and he hadn't known Seth for more than a few years. But who could blame him? Seth's happiness, excitement and overall joy in life was contagious.

"Do I smell breakfast?" Seth said with a wide grin as he stepped into the room, firstly pulling Edward into a tight hug, patting him hard on the back.

"Did you grow another foot?" I asked as I stood up to embrace the boy, who now towered over me like some furry skyscraper.

"Or two maybe," He smirked and pulled me into a hug, swinging me up off the ground, and setting me back down in one fluid movement. "I lost count."

Seeing Seth really made it sink in that we had come home again. The house was once more filled with family, friends and wolves. I would have to adjust to the smell of it all over again.

"Hi Renee," Seth greeted her with a smile. "We met at the wedding, remember?"

"So many tall good looking kids here, I can't keep track." Renee smiled at him. "Would you like some breakfast Seth?" Renee asked him. "Apparently my food isn't quite what these customers had in mind." She smirked, eyeing us.

"Can't say no to free food," Seth said quickly, taking the whole pan of eggs with his hand, using the other to snatch a large silver spoon from a nearby drawer. "Thanks!"

"Where's Jacob?" Renesmee said as she reentered the room, a new book in hand, most likely pulled from Carlisle's office down the hall.

"Hey Nessie!" Seth exclaimed, fighting the urge to not talk with his mouth full, but failed miserably. After swallowing a massive amount of food, he pulled Renesmee up into his arms. "Jake's off working."

"Working?" I asked. "Since when does he have a job?" I could just imagine Jacob Black standing behind the counter of some consignment store, or at the window of a local drive-thru restaurant.

"Pack work." Seth shrugged. "A bunch of stuff dealing with the tribal council. I wasn't paying much attention I'll admit. When he, Leah and my mom get talking policies and procedures, I tend to tune them out."

"Sue's still on the council?" I asked regretfully. I had spent all night trying to get Sue Clearwater out of my thoughts.

"Sure," Seth nodded, setting Renesmee back down as he gulped down another mass of eggs. "The three of them should be there most of the day, but we're all meeting up at Charlie's for dinner. You guys coming?"

"We'll be there." I replied.

"What time is it?" Renee asked and I felt a lump in my throat.

"Oh, Alice said she wanted to spend some time with you. Take you shopping and sight seeing I think."

"I used to live here Bella, and I really doubt the sights have changed much in twenty odd years." Renee mumbled, rolling her eyes a bit.

"Still," I smiled. "Everyone should have the opportunity to go shopping with Alice." I didn't want to blurt out what I knew about tonight's events. After all, Seth didn't know, and I still wasn't sure how Renee would react to the news. Even though they hadn't been together for years, Charlie still took it a little hard when Renee settled down with Phil. It hurt, even if he didn't show it.

Renee eventually agreed to spend the time with Alice, though I could tell she had a feeling something was up. I hated lying; even avoiding the truth was lying to me. It tasted bitter in my mouth; though now, it was a requirement of my life.

Getting ready for dinner was difficult. I wasn't supposed to know what was happening tonight, so dressing up for the occasion was out of the question. It would give me away immediately. Of course, that just gave me a great excuse to wear something comfortable and casual anyways.

I chose a pair of dark denim jeans, and slipped them on while standing inside my closet.

"Look how pretty!" Renesmee sang as she walked into the closet with Alice following behind her. She twirled around and the little pink and orange colored dress she had on spun around with her. She was a little princess. The top was camisole style, so she would have to wear a sweater. We had to try and fit in of course, after all, vampires and werewolves might not be the only ones attending this blessed event. What if some of Charlie's co-workers and friends came by? We had to look as human as possible, and even though it was still summer, there was a slight chill in the air.

"Wow," I grinned. "How colorful." I turned and looked at Alice. "Because she doesn't stand out enough?"

"You're not wearing that are you?" Alice asked me, dodging my question with direct attack on my fashion sense, or lack thereof.

"I haven't decided what to wear yet." I defended.

"Oh yes you have," She cringed. "And I just can't allow it. Keep the jeans on," She said and then added, "If you must," before she dove into my closet and began to search for something that would match. She of course knew what she was looking for, but took a few moments longer than she would have, so that she could stop and reorganize the way I had my hangers arranged.

"You don't have to do this," I whined.

"Bella, stop stressing." Alice said as she pulled a beautiful yellow top out from the back of the closet, where I had purposely hidden all of the extra expensive designer items that she stuck in there a year ago. "Honestly, Bella, you're going to become the first vampire to ever get wrinkles."

She handed me the top and I sighed, hesitantly throwing it over my head. Alice grinned brightly.

"Now see!" She nearly squealed at the fact that I had almost dressed myself properly. The top fit me perfectly of course. The short sleeves came up around my shoulders and cascaded down my torso while the rest of it fit like a casual t-shirt.

"It's really bright." I commented, looking down at myself.

"Well it matches better with your skin. If you need to fit in with humans, you might not want to draw more attention to how light your complexion is. Wearing that dark brown sweater would have been eye drawing, not to mention blasphemous." Alice gave me one final look over, tossed my hair a few times and grinned.

"Now don't change anything, and have fun." She smiled brightly. "Oh I wish I could be there. Honestly, I feel insulted that I wasn't invited to this big reveal. So many excited faces."

"Don't be," I sighed. "I have a feeling it will be more tense than celebratory."

"Such a pessimist," Alice leaned in, wrapping her arms around me. "When will you learn to trust me?"

"Trust you? To dress me you mean?" I chuckled.

"Fine, fine, I'm leaving," She said turning around. "I'll return your mother later tonight. Hopefully she's easier to deal with than you are." She added with a final smirk before literally skipping out of my bedroom.

"You two ready?" Edward said approaching the closet, knocking on the door lightly.

"I guess so," I mumbled under my breath as I slipped my tennis shoes on, thankful that I had made the decision to do so after Alice had left. If not, I would have been stuck wearing some disastrous strappy shoe with heels. I wasn't prone to tripping any longer, but who was to say I wouldn't be stepping on feet all night?

We pulled into the driveway, late on purpose. Having been to a few gatherings with the Quileute boys before, we learned quickly that the food was mostly gone fifteen minutes in. It gave us a perfect excuse not to partake, since there wasn't anything left.

Renesmee rushed in the door and flew into Charlie's waiting arms. Smiling, I greeted my dad with a gentle hug and kiss before walking into the house. I blinked rapidly glancing around the room that had been transformed into something I didn't recognize. The furniture was all changed around and the place was nearly spotless. Had this been here the night before? I didn't recall looking in the living room windows.

"Wow, Charlie, the place looks great." I heard Edward say before he pinched the back of my arm lightly.

"Oh, umm, yeah, it looks great." I said still in shock.

Sue was no where to be seen, but then anyone under six feet would have been difficult to spot. It felt like every wolf in the area was here, most of which were in the kitchen, stuffing their faces. Only three wolves weren't stuffed into the crowd; Jacob, Quil and Leah.

The moment Charlie let go of Renesmee, she was in Jacob's arms. The two of them were now on the floor picking through a bowl of chocolate covered candies. Quil was sitting on the nearby couch with Claire, Emily's niece attempting to braid his hair.

"You two look ridiculous," Leah said to Jacob and Quil as she walked past them, a tray in her hand with nothing but small crumbs left on it. She momentarily paused when she saw Edward and I, and gave a short nod of her head, acknowledging our arrival without actually being forced to say hello.

She turned and made her way back into the kitchen, squeezing through the tightly gathered pack, which now looked more ravenous as humans than I had ever seen them as wolves.

"Move!" She snapped, and I could almost hear the bark in her voice behind the words. Several of the boys did as they were told, while others seemed to roll their eyes and ignore her. The separation of the packs, I assumed. Those that obeyed, knew that Leah was Jacob's Beta, his second in command. Those that ignored her and did as they pleased belonged to Sam's pack; though it appeared that even the ones who obeyed her did so begrudgingly.

Suddenly, the pack of boys parted like the red sea, and Sue walked through carrying a plate in one hand, a beer in the other. It was amazing to me that someone so beautiful and graceful could be the mother of someone so snippy and short tempered as Leah.

Sue's long black hair was pulled back with a small clip, but flowed down her back like shiny strands of silk. Her face glowed, and I could tell immediately, that her presence did the same thing to Charlie.

"Here," She said handing him the food and drink in her hand. "Saved you some."

"Hope you didn't get hurt in the attempt," Charlie chuckled and then took a seat in his big recliner, which now faced away from the television. Sue pulled up another chair beside him, taking a seat. She then looked up at Edward and I and smiled politely.

"Why don't you two make yourself comfortable?" She insisted.

Strange as it was, being invited to sit by someone who technically didn't even live in the house, Edward and I made our way over to a small love seat that sat opposite Charlie and Sue.

"The house looks nice," I commented again as I sat. "Is this thing new?" I looked down at the love seat that didn't match any of the other furniture.

"Yeah," Charlie nodded his head before taking a long gulp from his can. "Brought it in this morning."

I smiled, but said nothing more. I knew it belonged to Sue. Most of the new things in the house did. The house didn't just smell like werewolf because both packs were in the other room, the furniture was covered with the scent.

"How was your trip back?" Sue asked, trying to make small talk. It had been something she never really did much before. Whenever we were over last year, she remained quiet in the background, as Charlie's attention remained focused on Renesmee. I couldn't feel bitter or saddened by them getting married, not now, not while Sue was really trying to be nice and welcoming.

"It was nice," I smiled. "We didn't really stop much though. Just wanted to get home."

"Aunt Sue?" A familiar voice called out, and Emily stepped through the crowd. I smiled the moment I saw her, and she returned the greeting, but then turned her attention back to Sue.

"We're all out of food." She announced, bringing her hand to adjust a few strands of hair that hung in her face, covering her scars. "If you want, I can make some more, or start cleaning up."

"No, no," Sue insisted. "You don't have to do that."

"Let the boys handle the mess," Charlie chuckled. "You come sit down and relax with the rest of us."

Emily smiled kindly at Charlie and walked over towards the long couch to sit down beside Claire and Quil, stopping only once to lean down and gently squeeze my arm and whisper, "It's good to see you, Bella."

Over the next hour, I sat in silence mostly, watching as everyone else lived on in front of me. Edward and Charlie took up a conversation that began with a discussion of a recent Mariners game, and eventually turned into a lecture on cars, headed up by my father who was insisting that Edward come down to the station to take a look at a recently blown engine in one of the police cars.

Jacob and Quil were sitting face to face teasing each other as now both Claire and Renesmee styled their hair from behind. Emily watched on in amusement, leaning against Sam, who had recently joined her.

Seth stood behind Sue, who was watching as Leah attempted to get some of the remaining boys to clean up the kitchen.

This was my family now. Everyone in this room.

"Alright," Charlie stood up and immediately I felt Edward's hand on my leg. This was it? Charlie was announcing it right here and now? I felt a lump in my throat and immediately began holding my breath, a nervous habit.

"Sue and I didn't just call everyone to come have dinner." He didn't make any motion, other than dropping one hand, and almost instantly Sue took it and stood up. Charlie smiled and affectionately pulled her in close to him, patting her arm with a free hand gently. "We," he paused, "well, we have an announcement."

I closed my eyes and reached over taking a firm hold of Edward's hand.

"We're going to get married." Sue announced.

Strange. It didn't feel as shocking, as dramatic, or as possibly painful as I thought it would have. I opened my eyes and looked up; Charlie was staring down at me, waiting for my reaction. I couldn't even tell what was happening, but in an instant I found myself smiling up at him. He really was happy, and I was happy for him. I could see the look of relief spread over his face, and that made me feel much better. My approval could ease his worry. He didn't really need my approval over his impending marriage, when had I really ever asked for his regarding Edward?

The crowd gave mixed responses. Some applauded, some gave loud shouts of congratulations, and others sat back in a bit of shock, but smiled regardless. Jacob rose up handing Renesmee over to Charlie and then kneeled down at my side.

"Isn't this awesome?" He grinned.

"Awesome." I echoed with less enthusiasm than he had.

"Wow, we're all family now. This makes us like, cousins or something Bells." Jacob grinned. Everyone was practically family on the reservation anyways, and Sue had been like a surrogate mother to all the kids there.

"Cousin or future son-in-law, Jacob," I narrowed my eyes at him. "Can't be both."

Jacob laughed and stood up, walking over to give Sue and Charlie hugs, as most others were waiting in line to do.

I looked up and noticed Seth, who seemed just as thrilled as the rest of the group, if not more so. He turned and pulled Charlie into a big hug and then reached out with one arm to pull Sue in close.

One great big family.

"Is this some sort of joke?" I heard before anyone else did; though when they had, the room fell completely silent. Leah stood in the doorway of the kitchen, her hands dropped to her sides, her mouth gaped open and her eyes full of anger and shock.

"Leah," Jacob turned, cautioning her, his demeanor changing instantly. The mentality of a pack leader taking over.

"I'm serious." She said again, her eyes stuck on her mother. "Charlie I don't mean anything against you," She said, gulping down hard. "But you can't be serious, Mom."

"Leah, chill out," Seth said. The room was turning on her. "Mom and Charlie deserve to be happy."

The look on Sue and Charlie's faces said that they had assumed this was going to happen. Partially defeated, but expectant of Leah's reaction. The excitement from everyone had been too good to be true.

"Shut up Seth," Leah snapped. "It's one thing for Jacob, he doesn't have a choice in the matter, but you're really going to marry into a family of . . ."

Vampires. She was going to say vampires. She wasn't however given the chance to do so. Leah had made this more personal than she had intended to, and suddenly she was gripped around the shoulders by Seth and Jacob and being pulled into the kitchen.

"So when's the big day?" Emily asked, trying to distract everyone else from the argument going on in the other room.

Charlie and Sue didn't respond, but Emily kept on trying.

"Oh I think Claire and Renesmee would look darling in little flower girl dresses, don't you think so, Bella?"

I turned and smiled.

"So long as I don't have to walk down any aisles." I said, turning my smile to my father and Sue, who now looked completely heartbroken, their happiness deflated.

Talking resumed between the others, and eventually Charlie and Sue excused themselves, to go calm down I assumed, or perhaps to discuss the details on how to deal with Leah.

Jacob was having his own issues on dealing with Leah, and we could all hear every last word spoken.

"She's our mother, Seth!" Leah snapped at him. "Dad only died a year and a half ago!"

"And the only time she's been happy is when she's with Charlie," Seth defended. "I miss Dad, but I want her to be happy, Leah."

"Seth's right, Leah," Jacob said in a calm voice. "The last couple of years have been hard for everyone; I think we need something to celebrate."

"Stay out of this Jacob," Leah wasn't calming down in the slightest. "Just because you're happy with your own little bloodsucker doesn't mean that . . ."

Before any of us had a chance to say a word, we heard Jacob growl, followed by the loud sound of ripped clothing. Most of us stood and rushed the kitchen just before we caught a glimpse of Jacob tackling Leah through the front door.

"Ah, crap," Seth moaned and ran out after the two of them. As the crowd followed Seth, I rushed over, pulling Renesmee up into my arms before moving to the living room window to watch from afar.

"Is Jake gonna be okay?" She asked me.

"Jake'll be fine, baby." I assured her, though I wasn't certain. I'd never seen Leah and Jacob fight before. Within moments I couldn't see anything as Seth, Quil and Embry stepped in to separate the two.

"It's a good thing no one was walking or driving by," I commented as Emily and Sam approached me from behind.

"Ah, we're used to blocking the view. Besides, even when the tempers flare, we have enough brains to stay behind the trees," Sam said and looked down at Renesmee, giving her half of a smile. "Regardless of what you are, Leah shouldn't have said that, not here, not now."

"Especially not in front of Jacob." Emily added. "Aunt Sue?" She called back down the hallway. I turned and watched as Sue and Charlie came back out into the living room.

"What's with all the racket?" Charlie asked.

"Leah and Jacob are fighting," Renesmee sighed, not taking her eyes off the front lawn.

"Oh no," Sue sighed and walked back down the hallway.

"Is she going to be okay?" I asked as Charlie walked up, placing a hand on my shoulder.

"Oh she's tough as nails," He nodded. "Who's winning?" He asked with a sigh in the back of his throat. I could tell that Charlie hated this whole mess, and if Leah and Jacob weren't werewolves, he would have been out on the lawn breaking up the brawl himself.

"I think it's a draw." Sam commented.

"It usually is." Charlie nodded.

"Usually?" I arched a brow and turned to look at Charlie. "This happens a lot?"

Before Charlie could answer, Sue came back into the living room, a small bundle of clothes in her arms.

"Emily, will you go put these out on the back window sill?" She asked, handing over what looked to be a pair of jeans and a white blouse. "I'll take these to Jacob," She muttered, holding a pair of gray sweatpants draped over her forearm.

"You keep extra clothing here for them?" I asked Charlie.

"Try to." Charlie mumbled, taking extra notice as Sue walked out the front door, approaching the large crowd. Emily too, seemed extra cautious, and for good reason. She had seen first hand what an out of control werewolf can do, even to someone they love.

"What's going on?" I turned to look at Edward who was on the other side of me, watching everything unfold with eyes full of concentration.

"They've calmed down," he explained. "At least enough to phase back. It might be best for us to stay inside though. Leah could snap again at any moment."

I nodded, agreeing with him, and thankful that I could hear everything that was going on out in the yard. Somehow, it made me worry less.

The crowd spaced themselves out more as Leah returned from the side of the house, now wearing the pair of jeans and white blouse Emily had set aside for her. Jacob, adjusted the sweat pants and ran a hand through his long, tousled hair.

"I need to get out of here," Leah said, throwing her hands in the air and shoving her way past Jacob. "Move!" She shouted.

"No." Jacob growled. "You're not going anywhere."

"Oh aren't I?" Leah turned and snapped at him. "Why not? I can't run off when things don't go my way but everyone else can?"

"Don't push it Leah." Embry muttered.

"Don't worry Jake," Leah growled. "When I come back just in time for the wedding, I'll try not to assault the bride." She spun around on her heels and turned to walk away again.

I turned my head, not able to watch anymore. Mostly because Leah's words were upsetting to me as well. Another reminder of moments in my past where I was somehow able to hurt Jacob. I held Renesmee tightly, thankful that because of her, that part of my life was all over with.

"Get back here!" Jacob called after her.

"Make me!"

A few minutes later, everyone began filing back into the house. Jacob remained outside, staring off into the distance in the direction Leah left.

"She'll be fine," Sue said, assuring everyone else. "Just needs a day or two to cool off."

I felt terrible that the woman's only daughter had literally just run away, and she was inside consoling the rest of us.

"This is all my fault," I sighed, and felt Edward's hand on my shoulder. Renesmee leaned her head against my chest, glancing out the window, watching Jacob, who was now pacing back and forth in the grass.

"It's not your fault, Bells," Charlie said, standing between Sue and I, scratching the top of his head with one hand, looking beyond frustrated.

"Your father's right," Sue admitted. "Leah's always been a little temperamental."

"We should go," Edward commented, taking my arm.

"Don't leave on account of Leah," Seth pleaded.

"I think Edward's right," I sighed. "It's late and we should get her home." I motioned to Renesmee who was practically putty in my arms as she continued to stare out the window, worried about Jacob.

"Take Jake with you," Quil added. "He'll need to calm down tonight too, and for some reason you guys can take the edge off of the kid."

"Sure we will," Edward nodded and reached out to shake Charlie's hand. "Congratulations to the both of you," He said with a dashing smile. "Everything will work out, I know it will."

I smiled and hugged Charlie gently, and he leaned down to kiss Renesmee's forehead. Sue, who had never seemed very affectionate towards us before, reached out and ran her fingers through Renesmee's locks with a tender smile.

"Can you hear her?" Jacob turned to ask Edward the moment we were outside.

"Yes," Edward admitted. "She's trying to calm down so she doesn't accidentally phase. She seems pretty insistent on keeping you out of her head right now."

"Makes sense. That was the worst thing when I ran off," He sighed. "Having the occasional whining voice in my head, trying to figure out how to get me back."

"Come on," I put my arm around Edward's waist, and watched as Renesmee reached out gripping Jacob's arm. "Let's go home."


	9. Chapter 9

**Powerless**

* * *

The days following our return faded into one another, and things almost seemed normal again. My mother and my daughter continued to bond, and soon it was as though Renee belonged here with all of us.

But I knew better.

Renee was still human, much as I tried to pretend otherwise. A husband and a life were waiting for her on the other side of the country. A husband and a life she would return to soon, though her stay was already extended by a few weeks, thanks to a change in Phil's schedule.

When Renee wasn't spending time with Nessie, she was regaling us with tales of their life in Florida: the people she met, the work she was doing. Of course, Edward always listened in when the subject of sports came up, which it often did considering their life revolved around baseball.

To keep myself calm at all times, I hunted more than normal, and soon the thirst began to dull, though it never fully retreated. I had to be on guard at all times around Renee. I couldn't afford to take chances.

I hunted at night when I could, and brought Nessie with me during the evenings when she grew hungry. Alice took advantage of the time with Renee, insisting on shopping trips to Port Angeles and Seattle. I was certain she would soon try to convince Renee to run off to New York or Beverly Hills…or even Paris.

I was more than happy to relinquish my title as Alice's dress-up doll. Edward and I were able to spend more time by ourselves, and we made a conscious effort to show our appreciation to Renee as often as we could. A gift seemed appropriate. Edward wanted to give her something nice, and I wanted to give her something practical. Ultimately, we purchased three new suitcases for her to take with her when she left. I recognized the two she brought with her. Tattered and faded. The same luggage she bought when she married Phil. Two medium sized suit cases to replace her old ones, and an extra large garment bag to bring home all the clothing, bags, and accessories Alice practically forced on her.

"At least someone appreciates my effort," Alice would say anytime I made a sarcastic comment regarding my mother's wardrobe, which was now taking up residence in the living room of our cottage, having nowhere else to live. I offered to give up my closet, but the look Alice gave me silenced my suggestions.

Charlie and Sue came to visit once in the days following their wedding announcement. Thankfully, I was the only one who ever seemed uncomfortable. Sue was polite to Renee, who complimented Sue's beautiful hair and lovingly teased Charlie about finally finding someone who would put up with him. Everyone was getting along famously.

The only thing wrong with the picture: Leah was still missing.

Jacob's pack was on constant alert, scouring the tribal lands for any sign of their missing sister.

The day after she left, Jacob and Quil tracked her south from Forks into La Push, and then further along the beach. Her scent disappeared into the water, an act on her part to keep anyone from following her.

Each member of the pack took a shift. There was always one member who remained in wolf form, in case Leah phased. Quil and Embry split the night shift, while Seth and Jacob took daylight. Jacob often slept in his wolf form, just in case. But Leah remained in human form for days, totally absent from the world.

One afternoon – at least a week after Charlie and Sue announced their engagement – Seth ran up to the porch, clearly out of breath. He skid to a stop, his paws digging small trenches in the rock pathway leading to the cottage, before he nearly collided with one of the rosebushes I planted in the spring.

"Slow down, Seth, or you can landscape my whole yard yourself," I snapped at the pup before turning my attention back to Renesmee's long locks, which were nestled in between my fingers as I braided her hair.

"Jake isn't here," Edward answered Seth's silent communication as he walked out onto the porch. "I believe he mentioned he was helping Charlie with something today."

"He's coming over later," Renesmee insisted. "He promised to play in the river with me." She turned to look at me. "We're going to pan for gold."

"There's no gold in the river," I smirked.

"Jacob says there is."

"Jacob also said he could catch an elk before I could." I chuckled, taking a moment to bask in my own glory. "Just don't wear shoes in the water," I instructed as I finished the long French braid. Small little flyaway curls framed her round angel face. "Alice will throw a fit if you ruin another pair."

Edward and Seth weren't paying attention to us at all.

"Couldn't you have at least phased before you came here Seth?" I grumbled, frustrated because - as usual - I was left out of the conversation. "Edward isn't a telephone, you know."

As quickly as he arrived, Seth rushed off in the opposite direction. I turned to look at Edward.

"What's wrong?"

"Leah phased." He was recalling Seth's thoughts. "She made it all the way to Newport before she ran out of money for food. She phased so she could hunt in the woods nearby."

"She made it that far by herself?" Leah was fast, but I assumed it was only in wolf form.

"She's not doing very well. Lack of sleep, no food, not to mention she is still very upset." He sighed, and ran a hand through his hair. "Seth tried to talk her into coming home. She offered a few choice words about our family in return before declining and phasing back to her human form. Jacob won't be pleased."

"This is ridiculous. She's putting her family through hell," I snapped. "Poor Sue… and Seth. Now I feel badly for snapping at him."

"Don't worry about Seth. He's a lot stronger than any of us give him credit for. He's more worried about Sue and Charlie. They already decided to postpone their wedding because of this."

"Which is exactly what Leah wanted," I snarled.

"Leah will have to come home sometime. Lone wolves don't do well without their pack." Edward smiled and walked over to me, and pressed his lips against my shoulder.

His words and affection gave me comfort, though my feelings towards Leah did not vanish quickly.

"Is Jake still coming over?" Renesmee asked, having listened to our entire conversation.

"Maybe." I leaned down and kissed the top of her head. "But don't be upset if he doesn't. Jacob has a lot to do."

Of course, I knew Jacob would come by no matter how busy he was. He wouldn't dare break a promise to Renesmee, but it might be easier for him to deal with pack business if she understood there were people he needed to take care of. People who needed him more than she did right then.

A loud clicking sound came from the front pocket in my jeans. My cell phone vibrated against my marble skin, causing an unpleasant noise. I cringed slightly as I pulled it out, reminding myself to adjust the settings later.

"Forgot to turn the sound back on," I mumbled and pressed the button to answer the call.

"Hello?" I answered.

"Hello, Bella," A high-pitched familiar voice sang on the other end.

"Tanya?" I asked, a smile instantly lifting my face. I glanced down as Renesmee jumped up, her hands reaching for my phone, trying her best to snatch it from my hands.

"Let me talk to her!" she begged.

"Just a moment," I insisted, standing up from my chair to create more distance between my child and the phone. "Tanya, are you still there?" I asked as the signal went fuzzy for a moment, though I could easily hear noise on the other end.

"Yes, I'm here," said Tanya.

"Can she hear you?" I heard Carmen's voice in the background.

"Is everything alright?" I asked.

"Of course, Bella, in fact we're almost there," replied Tanya.

"Almost where?" I asked, raising a brow.

"Please let me talk," Renesmee begged as she tugged at my pant leg, only to place her hand on the top of my bare foot. Suddenly I saw an image of myself talking on the phone as though I were looking up at myself from the ground.

"Hold on, Tanya." I sighed and looked down at my daughter who smiled up at me innocently. I gave up and handed the phone down to her.

"You give in too easily," Edward smirked at me, as a deliriously excited Renesmee chattered away on the phone.

"I'll remember this moment when she wants her first car." I narrowed my eyes at him.

"Is everything alright with Tanya?" he asked, trying to talk to me and listen in on Renesmee's thoughts at the same time.

"I couldn't tell. She said 'they're almost there'. Does she mean here? I didn't know we were expecting a visit anytime soon."

Edward went silent for a moment as he tried to listen in on the conversation through Renesmee's thoughts. As she said goodbye and shut my phone we both looked to her.

"Tanya and Carmen are coming!" Nessie squealed as she stood up and began a quick dash towards the big house. She took the river in one quick bound, but came up short on the other side, splashing in the water in the shallow bank.

I turned to Edward. "Care to explain for those of us who aren't telepathically enhanced?"

"Tanya and Carmen are coming." He offered an apologetic smile. Apparently Tanya's conversation with Renesmee provided very little information for Edward as well.

We walked back to the house quickly, though Renesmee easily beat us there. Alice and Carlisle stepped out the door, Renesmee tugging on Carlisle's hand as she moved.

"We have visitors?" he asked.

"So it appears," I said, shrugging my shoulders.

"Are you sure?" Alice asked. "I didn't see them coming. I don't even see them now," she said, a bit of frustration building in her voice.

"Interesting," Edward mumbled to himself, a strange and curious smile crossing his face. "Well, it all makes sense now."

"Oh, you just know everything, don't you?!" Alice narrowed her eyes.

"I agree with her," I turned to look at him. "Want to share with the rest of us?"

"I think we should perhaps give Tanya and Carmen the chance to speak for themselves."

A large blue Mercedes-Benz crawled into the driveway with one of the softest sounding motors I'd heard in a while. The windows were tinted, and the color of the paint shined so much it looked as though it was just driven off the lot. Edward was instantly fixated on the car, and even paused for a moment to reflect, before running his fingers gently along the body of it. Eager to take a look inside, I could only assume.

The nearly silent engine turned off, and the driver door opened. Tanya exited; her strawberry blonde hair flowed in a breeze. As she shut the door, her bright golden eyes lit up as Renesmee threw herself into her arms.

"Tanya!" she squealed.

"Look how big you are!" Tanya grinned, holding Renesmee out in front of her. "Edward Cullen, what are you feeding this child?" Tanya smirked, scolding him.

"Giraffe." I grinned as I approached Tanya. She immediately set Renesmee down and embraced me in a tight hug.

"Eternally beautiful, just as I last saw you," she sighed. "You would have made a fine succubus, Bella," she teased.

"I didn't know you were coming," Alice said bitterly, interrupting the happy greetings. "Do you want to explain why I didn't know you were coming?"

"Is something wrong?" I asked Tanya. After all, the last time we saw our 'cousins', we were preparing for a battle where we all could easily have been killed.

"Calm down, Alice." Tanya smiled as she pulled her into a hug, and then kissed Carlisle on the cheek.

"I'm sorry we didn't give much notice, but I've always loved surprises myself," she smiled, and then turned her head to look at the house as she inhaled deeply. She blinked for a moment and turned to look at me first, almost suspiciously, before glancing back to Carlisle. "There is a human in your house," she stated.

"Yes," I nodded. "It's my mother. She's staying with us for a few weeks."

"Oh," Tanya chuckled as she exhaled. "Forgive me, Bella." She looked momentarily ashamed. "I forget how easily you can control yourself, being so young. I should have known." She looked down sheepishly. "Garrett is having trouble adapting lately. I've developed a habit of growing nervous when I smell a human nearby."

I wondered if Garrett had killed anyone in Denali, and this was why Tanya seemed so uneasy. I struggled with my thirst everyday. I was becoming more and more frustrated when my family assumed it was easy for me to deal with it. I didn't often compare myself with other vampires new to our way of living. Garrett was obviously struggling, and I felt terrible for taking my control for granted.

"Of course, I can barely smell her through the stench of werewolf." Tanya looked down at Renesmee. "Where are your furry friends?" she asked sweetly.

"Jacob's busy." Renesmee responded.

"Stop making small talk without me," Carmen said as she stepped out of the car, shutting the door. Everyone else was quick to smile at Carmen, but I was the first to notice something out of the ordinary. Before I even said hello to her, I looked past Carmen to the car as she closed the door behind her.

"You have a human with you?" I asked, almost as accusingly as Tanya had done a moment ago.

Both Tanya and Carmen froze, their bodies stiff and unmoving. Their smiles faded, and the two turned to look at one another.

"Tanya?" Carlisle asked. "If something is wrong, you can tell us."

"You must first give us the benefit of the doubt." Tanya insisted, and I instantly heard Edward scoff as he approached the rear of the car, examining the tires.

"Eleazar is in Italy," Tanya began.

"Volterra," Carmen said, adding more detail.

The name of the city sent panic through me. It wasn't even a year since the Voltouri tried to destroy us, and now Tanya and Carmen were bringing them back into our lives?

"Volterra?" Carlisle sounded as surprised as the rest of us looked. "He hasn't rejoined Aro, has he?"

"Not quite," Carmen sighed. "He was contacted two months ago by Aro directly."

"Apparently, Aro remained true to his word in regards to your coven." Tanya turned to look at Renesmee and myself specifically. "He has developed a new collection."

"Half-breeds," Carmen said, a tint of sadness in her eyes.

Instinctively, I reached out and pulled Renesmee against me, wrapping my hand protectively around her.

"The other half-breed – the young man, Nahuel – gave Aro information to the possible whereabouts of his vampire father." Tanya continued, "Naturally, the Voltouri were eager to dole out the proper punishment for his crimes."

"Did they find him?" Carlisle asked.

"Yes, as well as several others who followed in his footsteps, so to speak. Most were destroyed, from what we were told. Eleazer, however, believes Aro is keeping some of the fathers prisoner in order to find the location of their children." Tanya bowed her head, a deep sadness evident in her posture.

"He's collecting children?" I asked, my eyes wide.

"Some of the half-breeds appear very young, but not all are children like Renesmee," Carmen insisted. "Aro is having them join just as he would any other vampire."

"How is Aro able to find them all?" Alice asked in a credulous voice. "It took me so long to find Nahuel."

It was Tanya who answered her. "Apparently, he got lucky when he found one of the fathers, and discovered his child has a special tracking ability. She could find the scent of any half-breed who shared her blood. With this young one on Aro's side, it was all too easy for him to begin gathering them like sheep."

"But, of course, Aro would only want the ones with special abilities," I muttered under my breath.

"And Eleazer, once again, became very important," Carmen sighed.

"Why would he go back?" Carlisle asked. "He left for a good reason."

"And he returned for a good reason, as well." Carmen smiled at Renesmee. "He is a bitter old man, but he fell quite in love with your little Renesmee, as we all did. Aro told Eleazer he was having trouble convincing Caius and a few others the usefulness of the half-breeds. Caius, naturally, wanted them all destroyed."

"So Eleazer went to Italy to prove these half-breeds have abilities," Tanya finished.

It all made sense now. I remembered Caius too easily. Bitter and angry at Aro, who instead of ordering our execution wanted to collect us like pieces on an antique chessboard: a mind reader here, a psychic there, and a great, big shield to complete the collection. Now, he had a new game to play and new pieces to collect.

"Wait…" realization dawning on me. "If Aro keeps the ones with abilities, what happens to the ones who don't?"

Neither Carmen nor Tanya would look at me.

"They destroy them?" Horror filled my frame.

It was difficult for Carmen to continue, speaking the tragedy aloud was causing her physical pain. "Destroy isn't a word I would use." She turned away from us, visibly shaken. Edward enveloped her in his arms to offer her comfort.

"Most of the half-breeds are female," Tanya continued. She spoke softly, mournfully. "No venom, no powers… and yet a beating heart. Practically human in every way."

I closed my eyes, trying desperately to shut out the images as they forced themselves into my mind. I could see it clearly. Just as clearly as the day when I saved Edward under the clock tower. The day I saw humans – herded like cattle - brought to the Voltouri to devour. Only now, I saw exquisite marble faces with beautiful brown eyes, just like Renesmee. And, just like the humans, powerless to defend themselves.

Carmen slowly turned to look into our eyes once again. "When Eleazer found out, he refused to help Aro any longer."

"But he couldn't leave them all there," Tanya once again continued for her friend, who was so full of remorse she could barely speak.

The rest of us remained in shock from the news.

"As a gesture of kindness," - Tanya rolled her eyes at the word – "Aro insisted on letting the children without abilities go free. I assume he found keeping them not worth the trouble. Eleazer insisted those who remained captive were powerless, also. Aro agreed and released them. Eleazer saw to it himself they were sent far away from Volterra."

"Caius, Jane, and several others were sent out to find more, however, in hopes of discovering ones with talents. Eleazer is awaiting their arrival in hopes of saving them," Carmen said, a small, proud smile appearing on her face.

"Caius and Jane?" Carlisle questioned Carmen. "Why would Aro send the two of them and not a tracker. Dimitri would seem a much better choice for such an expedition."

"Their coven is not as strong as it once was," Carmen answered. "There are many who are still bitter about what happened here last year. Aro did not send Caius and Jane to track the half-breeds. They left of their own accord."

Edward finally added his opinion to the conversation. "It was dangerous of Eleazer to cross Aro. He can't avoid Aro's touch forever. He will see into Eleazer's mind eventually."

"We're hoping he'll return home before such a thing ever happens," Tanya growled.

"I don't understand." I couldn't follow the danger here. "If Aro agreed to release the powerless ones, what did Eleazer do to cross him?"

"Eleazer didn't ask Aro to only release the powerless ones - he asked Aro to release ALL of them. He fooled Aro into thinking they were all powerless. Eleazer was able to spare all but five of the half-breeds. Aro knew of the special gifts of these five before Eleazer discovered the fate of the others, and began to hide their abilities from Aro. As vampires with abilities are rare as it is, finding five half-breeds was more than Aro expected. He believed Eleazer when he insisted all of the remaining children were powerless… and he released them.

"Desiree?" Carmen called softly, as she looked back at the car. "Come and meet our cousins."

Slowly, the car door opened and out stepped a small child – maybe ten or eleven years old. Her long, blonde hair was the color of the sun at dawn. Her bright blue eyes were terrified as she turned to face us. Aside from her frightened expression, she was exactly as I would have imagined Rosalie looked as a child. Her beauty was exceptional. Her innocence apparent.

For the briefest of moments, the setting sun broke through the trees and shined down on us. As a tiny ray of sunlight crossed the girl's face, her skin sparkled.


	10. Chapter 10

**Just a Suggestion**

* * *

Desiree moved effortlessly forward, clinging immediately to Carmen's side. She scanned the rest of us and her bright blue orbs fell onto Renesmee, gasping at the sight of her, tiny hands clutching tighter to Carmen's blouse.

I could only begin to imagine what this little girl must have been through. Of course, the sight of Renesmee must be frightening to her. Desiree had just come from a place where half-breed children like herself were imprisoned.

Nessie wiggled herself slowly away from me and approached the girl. I moved to stop her - ever wary of the unknown - but she pulled against my hand, insisting I allow her to investigate.

The two children faced one another as though they were looking in a carnival mirror. The differences between the two girls were outstanding. Renesmee with her bouncy bronze curls – a beautiful hue so similar to Edward's – with my dark brown eyes. My human eyes. Desiree with her long blonde hair, a golden color which reminded me of something out of a story. I could easily see her dressed up like a fairy tale princess and pull the look off quite convincingly. Her blue eyes were the color of the water surrounding Isle Esme. Those eyes were wet now, on the verge of tears, which only made the oceanic comparison stronger.

"Would you like to play?" Nessie asked her.

The rest of us were stunned into silence.

Desiree turned her eyes up to Carmen and Tanya, pleading for information.

"Everything is alright." Tanya smiled. "You are safe here."

"There's a river over there," - Nessie pointed back toward the cottage - "and fish."

"What kind of fish?" Desiree responded, speaking for the first time. Her voice was comparable to the sound of a humming bird's wings, though I never heard it before I became a vampire. Human ears were too restricted. The sound was a light, sweet ringing, which reminded me of someone playing music on crystal wine goblets.

Desiree spoke English, but her accent was unfamiliar.

"Come on, I'll show you." Renesmee reached out, taking Desiree's hand. By the timid expression on Carmen's face, I half expected Desiree to leap back in fear as Renesmee touched her, but she suddenly seemed more at ease than the rest of us. I causally glanced to the door, wondering if Jasper had joined us, but he wasn't there.

Though the girls' physical differences were patently obvious, their skin matched perfectly – a beautiful shade of pale with a flush of pink beneath the surface. They sparkled, but only as the sunlight gently touched them.

"She doesn't speak much," Carmen admitted softly. She approached me, intertwining her arm through mine. She leaned her head on my shoulder and we both watched the children walk into the distance.

"I don't understand," Alice commented. Her frustration was audible. I could hear her teeth grinding together. She bore her eyes into the back of Desiree's head, as though if she tried harder, she could see something, half-breed or not. "Why not send them all back where they came from? Why did Eleazar send one to you?"

"More than one," Tanya answered solemnly. "Desiree was just the first. We have to return soon. Others are coming."

I turned around. "More are coming?"

"I'm not sure how many. But Eleazar is trying to protect them by sending as many as he can to those who are willing to help, and have the ability to do so," Tanya replied with a heavy heart. The burden she was bearing was not light. Putting her family at risk for Renesmee was one thing. But these half-breed children were strangers to her, and there were so many.

"He couldn't send them back," Carmen added. "If Aro finds out Eleazar lied to him…" She paused considering the full consequences that would fall upon her husband's head. "He would know exactly where to find them again."

Alice blinked and her mouth fell open. "So that explains it."

"Explains what?" I asked.

"A few days ago, I saw nothing."

"Nothing?" I raised a brow.

"An unfamiliar nothing. Scattered images with a few fleeting voices here and there. I thought it was something to do with the wolves. After all, I anticipated my visions would go haywire coming back to Forks, but I didn't think it would be this."

"Be what?" I asked impatiently.

Alice turned and looked to Carmen.

"Some of the children are being sent here. To you." Carmen replied, looking at me directly.

"Me?" Shock and concern filled my voice. Why was I being singled out?

Of course. Of course they would send these children to me. I was the mother of a half-breed, the only mother to ever survive. Did they think I would be a lioness, eager to gather stray cubs and protect them all? I had barely enough strength to protect one last year – my own daughter – and even then twenty other vampires helped me.

I looked back at Desiree and Nessie, and a maternal instinct pinched at my stomach.

"We will do what we can to help Eleazar in his cause," Carlisle said before the rest of us could respond. "After all your family did for us last year, how could we not?" He placed a gentle hand on my shoulder, as though he knew exactly what I was thinking, and how worried I was for my own individual family. "We cannot simply leave them to the hands of the Volturi."

"Did you think we wouldn't believe your story?" Alice asked. "Don't get me wrong, we love having you here, but you could have easily given us a call. Why come all this way if you have to leave again so soon?"

Tanya looked down. "We've brought Desiree to you."

"To us?" I panicked. A new vampire, half-breed or not, being left here in our care? Right now? With humans and wolves coming and going as they pleased? Thoughts and fears overwhelmed me. Images of a tiny blonde half-vampire attacking Renee and Charlie.

"If she was meant to be here, why didn't Eleazar send her himself?" Carlisle asked.

"We don't know." Carmen looked confused, and almost ashamed of the fact.

"What do you mean you don't know?" I nearly snapped. I was not going to put my family at risk on a whim that perhaps this was the right thing to do. I understood Eleazar's attempt to protect these children, but details needed to be known. We were lacking communication from thousands of miles away. Assumptions were dangerous at a time like this.

"Calm down, Bella," Carlisle urged. "Give them a chance to explain."

"Desiree arrived a few days ago, and just as soon as we made a place for her to sleep, we began packing our things into the car and found ourselves driving here." Tanya sighed. "We don't know why, but we knew she needed to come here. To you."

"It was so strange. I don't even remember getting into the car. We just suddenly were driving." Carmen added.

"Desiree told you to come," Edward finally spoke, his eyes still on the girls, who were now far into the distance.

"No, she didn't." Carmen admitted. "She's spoken no more than a few words to us since her arrival."

"Eleazar is very smart." Edward muttered. "If Aro gets hold of her, there's no telling the havoc he would cause."

"Edward, son," Carlisle approached him. "What did you hear?"

"She is very gifted." Edward stated, folding his arms across his chest. "I have never heard of anything like it." He turned to look at the rest of us, finally taking his eyes off of the children. "Eleazar told Desiree about Renesmee, our family, and our past, in an effort to assure her she would be kept safe in her escape."

"You do not remember coming up with the idea to bring her here, because it was not your idea to begin with, Tanya. Desiree has the ability to make suggestions to your mind. The way Renesmee can input images, Desiree can do so with thoughts and ideas." When Edward finished speaking, the rest of us remained silent, pondering the implications.

"She knew - from what Eleazar told her - how we all saved Renesmee. She believes being here would give her the best chances of survival. So she told you to bring her here," Edward finished.

The silence was tense. Tanya and Carmen stood in absolute shock. Possibly wondering what else Desiree had influenced since she had been in their care. Alice observed her with caution. An unknown vampire with the ability to influence people to do whatever she wanted, and Alice couldn't see it coming.

Carlisle, of course, was fascinated by the prospect. I could see it took every ounce of strength to keep him standing still. If it wouldn't possibly scare Desiree, he would already be at her side, examining and asking questions about her abilities.

I was terrified.

"If the Volturri… " I began, but I felt my voice breaking under the weight of my emotions.

"If Aro gets hold of her - learns her power - and allows Chelsea to win her over to his side, he could easily use her to get anything - or anyone - he wanted," Edward finished the frightening thought.

My family would be torn apart. One thought from a little girl and my loved ones would leave to join Aro and the others. Do their bidding. Or worse. What if Desiree could influence someone to hurt their loved ones, or themselves? Panic flooded my body as I imagined the members of my family fighting one another, or walking into a death trap and having no ability to stop themselves. Only I was immune. Could I honestly keep them all protected forever? Could I shield everyone I loved every moment of every day for the rest of eternity?

"This cannot happen." Carlisle's concerned thought broke through his interested expression, showing a glimpse of what I could only interpret as a small moment of fear. "I know Aro. He'll use her like he does Chelsea or Heidi. Turn vampire against vampire. Have humans walk into their grasp without even sensing the danger."

So at least I wasn't the only one thinking it.

"Are we sure Desiree can be trusted?" Alice asked.

"She's just a little girl," Carmen replied defensively.

"She's a vampire," Alice said firmly, though with a softer tone, trying not to offend Carmen. "And we have humans in our home quite frequently," she explained, looking to me.

"I believe she can be trusted," Edward chimed in. "I have been listening to Desiree since the moment you arrived. She is completely unaware of our abilities, so she would not have known to prepare herself against a mind reader."

"Can…" I began, but paused. "Can she be trusted around humans?"

"She is like us," Edward nodded with a smile. "Rather genius on her part, in fact."

"She doesn't hunt humans?" Carlisle asked.

"When she stepped out of the car, she could smell Renee." He looked to me with calm and assuring eyes, but I still felt my body turn rigid. "Instead of giving in to her thirst and hunting, or forcing herself to live without, she uses her ability on herself."

There was a small smile playing at his lips. He was amused. Impressed even.

"Quite similar to Bella's control when she was first born." He grinned at me.

"Me?" I relaxed slightly, but the feel of everyone's eyes on me made me feel like a spectacle, and I brought a nervous hand to my face.

"Yes," Edward smiled. "Remember your first hunt? How did you stop from killing those humans we crossed?"

I paused to recall the night. It was vivid and clear. The sights, the sounds… the scents. I hadn't even given it much thought. My body had taken over and suddenly I was hunting humans. I didn't mean to, of course. And then, almost as if a switched had been turned on in the back of my brain, I was able to make decisions clearly and move accordingly.

"I ran away," I said softly, not really getting his point in all of this.

"Yes, but what was your thought process?"

"I just told myself to run away." I shrugged my shoulders.

"Exactly!" He grinned with excitement. "Bella's extreme control gave her the ability to turn away on a hunt. Desiree tells herself the same thing, but using her ability she is somehow able to trick her own mind."

He was right. It was impressive. And I was jealous.

"That's convenient," I huffed. "It would be nice to be able to just trick my mind into believing I wasn't thirsty."

"You do just fine, love." Edward winked, moving to my side. As he wrapped his arms around me I couldn't help but turn to watch the girls in the distance.

"Why would she convince herself not to hunt humans?" Carlisle asked. "It is unheard of for one so young to have such an understanding of human life. Even Renesmee needed to be taught. Who taught Desiree?"

He had a good point. Carlisle was the first of us to choose this lifestyle, spurred by his intense compassion for life. Yet he still had to learn self-control, and he struggled for a time. We learned because of Carlisle. We were taught. Were there other families like us? Like Tanya and Carmen? Someone instructed Desiree, but who?

"We know so little about her." Tanya admitted.

"Renesmee!" Edward called out toward the cottage, and both girls turned at the sound. Immediately, Renesmee reached out taking Desiree's hand and the two began their quick run back toward us.

I knelt down in front of my daughter. "Will you go inside and check on Grandma?" I asked her. "Make her something to eat," I suggested, knowing it would keep them both busy for a while.

"Okay," Renesmee nodded with a smile, almost as if she knew exactly why I was asking her to do this. We needed a few minutes alone with Desiree. Nessie skipped off into the house, turning back once to look again at Desiree, fascinated that she finally had someone so very much like her.

The moment the door closed, Desiree rushed to Carmen's side. She was staring up at me, and it felt uncomfortable. I felt a deep sense of grief for the girl, but this emotion was nearly overwhelmed by the immediate sense of dread, confusion, and concern.

"She's wondering if her mother looked like you," Edward said to me.

Desiree's eyes flew wide. She burned her gaze into Edward's face, shock and fear clearly visible.

"I can read your mind," he said, dropping to a knee in front of her.

"How?" she demanded, letting go of Carmen's hand to take a step closer to Edward.

"The same way you use your talent," he explained, looking at her with a kind, patient face. "You don't have to hide it here. We're friends."

She stared at him with concentration.

"And you can stop trying to make me forget I know what you can do." He grinned. "We're all gifted here, and right now my wife is preventing you from getting into my head," he said, a tone of gratitude in his voice as his hand gestured to me.

She looked up at me, and then turned her eyes to the rest of the family. She looked tense and frightened. Her one defensive move had been taken from her.

"You will not be harmed here," Edward insisted. "You came to us for protection, and that is what we will give you."

She turned back to Edward, worry evident in her eyes.

"You don't know what they did." Her voice broke and a single tear fell hard against her marble cheek and rolled down her skin, framing her round jaw line.

We stood in silence watching Edward and Desiree stare at once another for what felt like a very long time. I began fidgeting with my fingers, an attempt to distract myself from remembering the grinding sound of vampire skin being torn apart. Visions of Irina's death haunted me. I could only imagine what it did to Tanya.

"You could not have done anything to help," Edward said, finally breaking the silence. Almost instantly, Desiree fell into a mess of tears, crumbling to the ground. Tanya, Carmen and I all stepped forward instinctively to comfort her, but then one by one we stopped in our tracks, still unsure of her reactions.

I looked to Edward for an explanation.

"I'll take her inside." Carmen reached down and pulled Desiree into her arms. "It was a long drive. She should probably sleep."

"Give her to Esme," Carlisle suggested. If anyone could truly comfort a crying child, it would be Esme. Carmen nodded in response and moved into the house.

"What happened?" I asked Edward.

"They killed her whole family," he hissed through his teeth. "Seems she doesn't recall much during her first few weeks. From the few images I was able to gather I believe her mother was a Christian missionary. Went to South Africa to help the poor and needy. She must have been attacked by Desiree's father there." He closed his eyes. I knew what he was doing. Comparing himself to the likes of the preying incubus - attacking women in the dark of night. I touched his shoulder gently to remind him our story had a happy ending.

"After her mother died, she was cared for by the local minister and his wife. I don't think they had other children. If they did, it's possible they were killed by vampires." He looked up at us as he rose to his feet. He dusted his pant leg with one free hand, pulling me close with the other.

"When the Volturri came," he growled, "they took her. Made her watch." He clenched his jaw tightly.

"Caius," Carlisle sighed. "He's the only one disturbed enough to do such a horrendous thing to a child." He shook his head, mourning for Desiree's fallen family.

Edward nodded his head in agreement. "Desiree blames herself. She can only affect one person at a time. In her attempt to save everyone, her power was not as effective, and they were all murdered."

"Uh oh…" Alice jumped like she had been shocked and then paused for a moment. Her high-pitched voice startled me, jumping through the crowd of grievous and mournful tones. "I need to make a phone call," she said nervously before turning around and walking back up the stairs.

"I really hate it when she does that," I murmured.

Edward pulled both arms around me, holding me close against him. I breathed him in, hoping his scent would clear my thoughts and make sense of all of this.

"I hate to do this to you," Edward began and I tensed. "But you may wish to speak with Renee." I knew what he was suggesting. Desiree was potentially harmless, but if Tanya and Carmen were right, more half-breeds would be coming soon, and there was no way to tell how safe they would be. I couldn't risk the lives of my human family, which meant Charlie and Sue would have to be told about this. Of course telling Sue brought up another point of stress I wasn't prepared to deal with quite yet.

"We'd better call Jacob," I said softly. The wolves were going to need to know about this, and the sooner the better. I wondered if they would be on our side again. Would it even come to that? Would the Volturri find out we were hiding them or perhaps, with Aro believing they were useless, would they not even care?

"How long will we need to watch over the half-breeds?" I asked, looking up at Tanya.

She shrugged her shoulders lightly. A small beam of sunlight burst through the trees, glancing over her face for a split second. Her hair shimmered a bright color, the hues of red deepening, adding something truly beautiful, magnificent. Tiny moments to remind me of how I felt when I was human. I looked like the rest of them now, so I treasured the times when their beauty stood out. It made me feel momentarily insignificant – a feeling I knew well. Somehow, though, insignificant felt safe. Of course, when I was an insignificant, little human, I was still—for reasons unknown - the focal point of every vampire in the general area, or possibly the known world.

"I'm not sure how long they'll need our protection," Tanya sighed. "We're in the dark on this, I'm afraid. We must trust in Eleazar and wait for him to contact us by whatever means he can."

"Desiree is resting." Carmen spoke softly as she closed the front door behind her. She looked at all the tension on our faces and sighed. "We must be heading back. Should anyone arrive while we're gone…" she paused. "Well, I do not wish to put more stress on Kate and Garrett than they already must deal with."

I understood what she meant. Half-breeds were still part human, and without Carmen and Tanya in Denali to help Kate, Garrett could easily attack one of them if he was thirsty enough.

"You can't stay a few more days?" Alice chimed in as she exited the house moments after Carmen.

Tanya shook her head. "Carmen is right. We must tend to our own as well." She sighed lightly but smiled as she walked over, taking my hand. "I have no worries though," she insisted. "We will see one another again soon."

Tanya leaned in to hug me tightly. "Thank you, Bella," she whispered. "I am going to go see Esme before we leave," she added.

Carmen opened their car door once more, pulling out a small bag. "These are a few things we brought for Desiree. I'll go put them in the house," she smiled, closing the car door behind her and following after Tanya.

Once the front door shut, three pair of eyes turned to look at Alice.

"What?" She blinked, as she took a step back, looking guilty.

"What's going on?" I asked. "The way you left just now, I half believe the Volturri were on the other side of the woods." I exhaled, closing my eyes for a moment to smother the image.

"No, I just…" she paused. "Well, we wanted to know when the half-breeds were arriving. The first flock of them are coming in two days from now, flight 6227 at Sea-Tac. I'll drive there myself to help bring them all home."

"That's oddly detailed for someone who can't see anything surrounding a half- breed," I pointed out.

"Well, I didn't see them, per se," Alice smiled.

"What exactly did you see?" I asked.

"Nothing. I mean, I was seeing something… and then, I saw nothing."

"Rosalie and Emmett," Edward clarified, as he saw it all in Alice's head. "Eleazar was somehow able to get in contact with them. They're coming home…" he paused. "And bringing two half-breeds with them."


	11. Chapter 11

**Welcome Home**

* * *

My ill-fated attempt to convince Renee to go back to Florida early sparked the first argument between she and I since her arrival. While I hated to even consider the truth of my own failings, Renee was very lucky I hunted earlier in the week. It was foolish for her to stay in Forks. I knew this, yet couldn't persuade her otherwise. Her opinions on staying were foolish and try as I might to persuade her otherwise, she was stubborn in her decision to stay in Forks. The fact that Phil's assignment in New York had being extended another week didn't help my cause. She insisted she remain with us, despite any possible danger. Being a newborn vampire, I knew how precarious her presence in Forks was; she, though, was clueless as to how difficult it was for me - let alone others - to have her near.

Even though Renee insisted on staying near to us, she did allow us to move her out of the main house. Half-breed or not, Desiree and the others coming were strangers to me. I couldn't afford to trust them, not with my human family. Where although a hotel would be marginally safer than the main house, it was still too risky.

The perfect solution presented itself, oddly enough, from Sue Clearwater. Thankfully, though a bit awkwardly, Sue was now living with Charlie, and with Leah still missing, the Clearwater home was mostly empty. Seth and his mother offered it to Renee as a temporary home. She would be kept perfectly safe on the reservation, surrounded by wolves.

Jacob was even able to talk Sam into allowing Renesmee across the border to visit Renee, supervised by Jacob of course. Jake was more than happy with the arrangement, considering his mild growing jealousy over Desiree, Renesmee's new playmate.

Time alone without the worry of Renee and Nessie should have left me with time to clear my head, relax by myself, or spend time with Edward. Unfortunately, Desiree was not permitted onto pack territory so couldn't go with Nessie to Renee's, and her maternal attachment toward me prevented her from sleeping well outside of the cottage. I felt as I had traded one child for another.

Despite her strange emotional grip on me, Desiree spent most of her time with Edward and Carlisle. We needed to know as much about her as possible: her past, her feelings and actions, and, especially, her growing powers. Edward was determined to help her strengthen her abilities, insisting she focus on something she could control, in hopes this would aid her emotional recovery.

While Carlisle and Edward spent most of their time helping Desiree ease into her new life with our family, the rest of us prepared for Rosalie and Emmett's return. Jasper was helping Alice fix up the extra rooms for our upcoming guests; Esme was repainting Rosalie and Emmett's room. My job was, of course, to remove the stench of werewolf from the house - something I was finding great difficulty in accomplishing.

Everything was almost perfect by the time Rose and Emmett arrived home. I could still smell wolf - and I was sure Rosalie could as well - but there was, thankfully, too much else happening for anyone to focus on the wolves.

"They're here!" Alice chimed loudly as she pranced down the stairs, leading the rest of the family out the front door.

"Where are Renesmee and Desiree?" I asked, moving down the hallway, looking in each room for the girls.

Alice called back, "Outside playing!"

Stepping outside, I looked to the gathering family members surrounding the car, each with open arms to welcome Rose and Emmett. I smiled kindly to my sister-in-law as our eyes met. She returned the gesture as she approached me, looking about for my daughter.

"Where is Renesmee?" Rosalie asked.

"Playing near the river. You'll see her soon, I promise. She is very anxious to see you two."

"We brought presents for her," Rose added as she turned around to watch Emmett lift trunk-sized luggage from the car.

Emmett grumbled, "She went overboard, of course." One of his muscled arms was wrapped around a large green duffle bag, the other held three black leather cases over his shoulder.

"I did no such thing, Emmett."

Jasper and Edward began to help with the luggage, but I couldn't help staring at our new arrivals. I watched carefully as two teenage girls stepped slowly from the car.

Edward stopped to touch my arm briefly, and spoke quietly into my ear. "You're making them nervous, Bella."

"Well, they make me nervous, so I guess we're even."

Esme welcomed the two girls and began to make introductions, her motherly arms resting lightly on their shoulders. "Girls, this is Bella."

"It is a pleasure to meet you," I said, as I stepped forward to greet them.

One of the girls was holding her arms crossed over her chest, almost as if she were holding herself together. She pulled one arm out and gently waved her hand. "I'm Aimee."

If she were completely human, Aimee would have no problem having a normal life. She looked like any other girl you would see walking around town. There was a familiar kindness and nervous sincerity that reminded me of Angela Weber, my one true human friend. Yet even though Aimee could pass for human, there were too many small things causing her to stand out. Her eyes were a beautiful dark hazel, and her auburn hair was quite lovely. It hung straight to her shoulders, shiny and rich in color, though there was something unnatural about it.

Esme was still standing between the two girls, holding them, welcoming them. It was clear Aimee was on edge, if not outright scared. She was trembling slightly, yet I could see her willingness to accept our offers of welcome and sanctuary. The other girl's stance showed no fear. Her posture was one of anger…and defiance, maybe?

Standing on the opposite side of Esme from Aimee, the other girl wouldn't look at me, averting her eyes, staring at the ground near her feet. Very quietly, I heard Aimee whisper to her, hoping we wouldn't hear.

"Don't be rude. They don't have to take us in, you know."

This sparked something within the other girl. She raised her head and looked me straight in the eye. I felt the tension instantly rise in my body: her eyes were the deep crimson I knew only too well..

With a hard edge to her voice, the girl merely introduced herself with a brief, "Natalya," and nothing more.

Seeing my distress, Jasper quietly alerted Edward. I relaxed just enough to avoid being forcibly removed from the driveway, but not enough to stop Edward from attaching himself to my side as a precaution.

"We have the one room available for the both of you right now. I hope it will be sufficient enough for now, until we can make more permanent arrangements for you." He spoke casually to the girls, trying to ease them into their temporary home.

Like a spoiled teenager, Natalya mumbled her ungrateful response, "Better than a cage."

What had happened to these girls?

Awkward silence filled the air.

Was Edward learning enough of the two girls to help us ease their transition? I needed to know more about our guests if my nerves were to calm down.

Aimee began to console the other girl. "It's going to be fine, Natalya. As long as we follow the rules, Rosalie said we would be safe."

Natalya rolled her eyes at the mention of Rosalie's name. I could only imagine why.

"She's right, Natalya. You're safe here." Even as I said the words, I wondered in my mind…. Is she safe? Are we safe?

Thankfully, Carlisle approached us, coming from the house, welcoming the girls. His strong, kind presence instantly settled the rising tension. "Aimee, Natalya, you are free to go inside and make yourselves comfortable. There is food in the kitchen, or, if you prefer, several of us will hunt with you this evening to show you the territory and boundaries."

To encourage the girls, Esme slid her arms from their shoulders to rest a palm on each of their backs, urging them forward toward the house. Aimee smiled pleasantly, walking forward close to Esme's motherly touch. Natalya brusquely pushed forward, escaping Esme's touch, and stalked purposefully ahead of the group.

A shimmer of sunlight passed through the trees and glided over the skin of our new guests. Aimee was perfectly flawless, like Renesmee and Desiree. But there were familiar markings on Natalya's skin and I found myself tensing again. Scars. Deep, though healing quickly. Crescent-shaped patterns up her left arm continuing to her near her throat.

As soon as the girls were out of sight, I turned toward Edward, beseeching him with my eyes. What happened to her?

"She doesn't know, Bella. She woke up in a cage in Volterra with no recollection of how she got there."

I muttered under my breath the answer to my unspoken question: "Alec." Horrible thoughts flooded my mind and I felt awful for judging the girl so quickly. I had never experienced Alec's power - thanks to my own powerfully strong shield - but just imagining the effects frightened me. To have all sense cut away from you. No sight, no smell, no sound, or taste. To feel absolutely nothing… only to awaken as a prisoner with torn and tattered flesh.

My thoughts returned to the present, anxiety still clouding the air around me. "Since when do hybrids have red eyes?" I asked.

"We've only met a handful of these children as it is, Bella," Carlisle offered. "Who can imagine the genetic possibilities?" His eyes were filled with concern for all those held by the Volturi. Shaking his head slowly in contemplation, he turned to head for the house. Rosalie was coming towards us, a look of harsh determination marring her beauty. As they past, Carlisle reached for her arm to slow her, and kissed her on the cheek. "Thank you, Rosalie, for bringing the girls."

Rosalie's face softened, accepting Carlisle's gratitude. We all knew this was going to be difficult for we knew nothing of the future. As she walked toward us, her face hardening as she approached, the steely determination fixed solidly within her.

Edward, sensing my worry, quickly shared what he learned. "Natalya may appear young, but she is at least a half-century old. This is quite a change of lifestyle for her."

"Don't let her get away with that excuse, Edward," Rosalie growled. "If the rest of us can abstain from feeding on humans, then so can she."

"Did you really think yelling at her was the best way to introduce yourself?" Edward snarled in response.

"Oh, please." Rosalie rolled her eyes. "I'm not going to spend effort babying them. You could smell the blood on her when we picked them up from the airport in Johannesburg."

"What? She killed someone just this week?" I felt my fingernails scrape into my palm as my fists clenched together.

"She will be fine," Edward insisted.

"How do you know that?" I snapped.

Edward reached for my hand and pulled me close, holding me against his chest. I could hear his inhalation and exhalation, alternately filling his lungs and emptying them. Cocooned in his embrace, listening to his breathing, I could allow myself to let go of my fear. After three breaths, Edward spoke again, in a calm, reassuring voice, "It will be fine, Bella. If either Aimee or Natalya struggle with their adjustments, perhaps Desiree can be of some use."

Rosalie's hears pricked at Edward's mention of the girl. "Desiree?"

"Another half-breed. Tanya and Carmen brought her." Even though Edward was answering Rosalie's questions, I could see his attention was on the house. What was happening inside?

"Desiree is off causing trouble with Renesmee, I'm sure, Rosalie. They are best friends. Edward, should we go inside?" At the thought, my nerves were on edge once again.

"You two go without me," Rosalie huffed, turning her face away from the house with her nose turned slightly upwards. It appeared she was done spending quality time with Aimee and Natalya. "I'll go find Renesmee."

I was tempted to go with Rosalie, but the intrigue of the strangers in my home was too tempting to avoid. I wanted to know everything about them. Renesmee was such a rarity, I based all my expectations of half-breeds on what I learned from her and from what Nahuel and his aunt told us. These newcomers were throwing all my preconceived ideas out the window.

Edward squeezed me to his chest, kissed the top of my head, and slowly relaxed his arms, releasing me from our embrace, but keeping hold of my hand. He squeezed it lightly, and smiled, calming me with the confidence of his gaze. We turned and walked into the house. Aimee and Natalya were seated on the couch, Carlisle in front of them in his own chair. Esme and Alice were lurking behind the girls, intently listening to Carlisle.

We moved to the stairs and found a seat halfway up the steps. Jasper was sitting six steps up from us, looking just as serious as Edward.

"What's going on?" I whispered to Edward.

"Carlisle is telling them the story of how we all came to be," Jasper answered softly. "The younger one," - Aimee - "seems very controlled. The other," Jasper paused and closed his eyes, "…is needing my assistance."

I took in a slow, deep breath, sensing everything around me. A small breeze brushed through a cracked window and I could taste the setting sun in the back of my throat. It was warm, almost liquid, and smelled like lilacs and rainwater. Even through the smell, I could taste the nearby wildlife on the tip of my tongue. I would insist on hunting with Aimee and Natalya tonight; I wanted to see them in action.

"Doesn't seem fair," I muttered. "It took me years to learn everything about you," - I smiled up at Edward - "and here they are getting the Cliff's notes right up front."

Edward answered by turning and kissing my forehead.

"This is more for our benefit than theirs, Bella," he said a few moments later, when he seemed to overhear something important.

"What do you mean?"

"As apprehensive as they are right now, it could be dangerous to question them about their lives, beliefs, abilities. They came from captivity where they were treated like slaves, criminals… pets." He sighed, knowing he could go on with the darkness they experienced. "Carlisle does not want them to feel like experiments here. So, telling our story is the easiest way for them to think about their own."

"And the easiest way for you to listen in," I said, nodding my head in understanding. "So, is there anything you can tell me?"

"Aimee is fairly young and seems to understand what Carlisle is telling her. Almost as if it was told to her before."

Like Desiree, I thought.

I sucked in a quick breath.

"Calm down, Bella." Edward once again took my hand. "She knows this is what must be done to be protected. She understands it is either adapt to life here, or return to Volterra. The latter is not something she seems to easily accept."

I had been in the presence of the Volturi multiple times. I had seen how Aro could win you over with charm - get you close enough - and sick the hounds on you. I had seen first hand Caius's hatred of anything not fitting his image of a pure vampire, not to mention humans and werewolves. Demetri, Felix, Jane, Alec - I remembered them all, though I was never forced to face them the way these others were. I knew Aro's craving for my power, as well as Edward's and Alice's, but I was protected from him. From all of them.

The scars on Natalya's body would be a constant reminder of just how blessed I was to stand in the face of impending doom, only to walk away completely unscathed.

I could hear bits and pieces of the conversation in the living room, though I was paying more attention to the contours of Edward's shoulder, tracing my finger along the lines beneath his shirt.

Jasper stood and made his way up the stairs, disappearing into the hallway. I listened as Esme encouraged the girls to get some rest, and Carlisle told them we would go hunting later in the night when they woke.

A loud, crashing noise jerked me from my concentration, and I leapt to my feet in less time than it took a human to blink. Rushing outside, I turned toward the direction the sound came from, fully expecting an attack on the horizon … ever the pessimist.

"You are not faster than me!" Renesmee's tiny voice proclaimed. I caught sight of Emmett on the ground, breaking through the earth to create a small crater. Renesmee proudly stood on his chest, the victor of an obviously rigged contest.

I felt Edward's arms wrap around my waist and I exhaled, melting into him. At the site of Rosalie my chest filled with warmth. She approached my daughter and her fallen conquest, with Desirees' hand firmly grasped within her own. Whatever strange maternal connection Desiree once felt toward me was quickly transferred. No one deserved it more than Rose.

I found it strange to discover something so horrible as what the Volturi were doing thousands of miles away somehow brought an incredible amount of joy to our little corner of the world.

"Everything happens for a reason," I whispered through my happy grin.

"Let's hope so," Edward replied.


End file.
